Myself and 4 N-E CMs: Sangma feeler to NDA

Appealing to his party chief Sharad Pawar to rethink his tie-up with the Congress, NCP general secretary and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno ...

Appealing to his party chief Sharad Pawar to rethink his tie-up with the Congress, NCP general secretary and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma sent a clear feeler to the NDA today saying he was ‘‘interested in making the North-East People’s Forum (NEPF) a constituent of the NDA.’’

Sangma said he would wait until Monday when NEPF leaders headed by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio meet in New Delhi, where this conglomeration is expected to formally declare itself as a political entity.

Besides Rio, this grouping includes Arunachal Pradesh CM Gegong Apang (BJP), Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling. Sangma said he’s trying to rope in the Asom Gana Parishad as well. Incidentally, the BJP this week went on record to say that it no longer needed the AGP as an ally in Assam for the Lok Sabha elections. But Sangma said he had had discussions with AGP president Brindaban Goswami and former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on this issue.

‘‘Once the AGP also becomes part of the NEPF, it will be easier to put up a better fight and oust the Congress from whatever it is left with in the Northeastern region,’’ Sangma said.

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He appealed to Pawar not to try to cause any split in the party. ‘‘If the Congress decides to project him (Pawar), Manmohan Singh, ND Tiwari or Narasimha Rao, it will be a different thing. But that is never going to happen,’’ Sangma said.

Asked if he would be responsible for a split, he said: ‘‘I am neither for the NCP forging any alliance with the Congress party under Sonia Gandhi, nor am I one to cause any split in the NCP because some others (from the NCP) are interested in joining hands with the Congress.’’

There was no going back to the Congress because the very birth of the NCP was on the issue of a person of foreign origin being projected as prime minister, Sangma added.

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