New Delhi: When you dream of something and work hard to make it reality, you will never fail… !
Late Purno A Sangma’s dream of seeing a tribal becoming president of the country has finally turned into reality on July 21, when NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu registered her thumping victory in the presidential elections.
But the saddest thing about this is that he is not here to witness the making of history.
It was ten years ago when Lok Sabha MP from Tura,Purno Agitok Sangma had dreamt of and had contested the election for the highest office in the country, where he had lost.
Purno Sangma knew he wouldn’t win
For PA Sangma, winning or loosing was not at all important, but it was about proving to all the doubters of the country that even a tribal can stand tall and vie for the office of the President.
Sangma contested the election for the highest post in the country despite knowing that he will not win because the NDA did not have the numbers in parliament and state legislatures.
He had contested for the Presidential election in 2012, which saw his defeat while ten years later in 2022 saw an impending victory, India on Thursday elected its first-ever tribal President in Droupadi Murmu from Odisha.
It was his dream, but was fulfilled by by another tribal. Late PA Sangma was from Meghalaya’s Garo Hills.
Droupadi Murmu, 15th President of India
Droupadi Murmu, the NDA’s presidential candidate was officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the counting of votes were done on Thursday.
Droupadi Murmu, received a total of 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha got 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177.
The polling for electing the 15th President of India was held on July 18, where a total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes.
What Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said:
(L) PA Sangma’s son, Conrad Sangma, who is currently serving as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, said on Thursday (July21) that his father knew that he won’t win the the presidential contest but he had said that he wanted to send a message to all that tribals, that they are no longer a small community.
About PA Sangma:
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma, also known as PA Sangma had died of heart attack on March 4, 2016. He was 68.
He was the member of the Lok Sabha for nine-time and the Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha. Sangma, also held important portfolios in the Union government.
PA Sangma was the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly from 1990 to 1991.
He was born on September 1, 1947 in village Chapahati in the picturesque West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya.
