Prez poll candidature row: Upset Sangma quits NCP

New Delhi, June 20 (ANI): Former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma, who is determined to contest the presidential poll as a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, has quit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on the ground that his self-respect should be protected.

Briefing the media here about Sangma's decision, Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy said: ""Sangma, who is an old friend of mine called me up today. Sangma telephoned me saying that I must see you. I said I am going that side, so I will drop in at 2: 30. When I came here, he said 'the NCP seems to be in some kind of torture from somebody or other. I know from where the torture is, and therefore, I am making it easy for them by resigning'."

"Now, he is a gentleman he did not say, but the fact is that NCP and the Congress Party have tried to humiliate him, saying that he is not of the same stature as Pranab Mukherjee. And, they want to humiliate him by saying that they are offering him the Ambassadorship to Mauritius. So, the low quality of UPA is reflective of the lack of education of Sonia Gandhi," he added.

Swamy further said Sangma is the first choice for the coveted post of President of India of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and added that the decision of the NDA to also back him in the race of Raisina Hill, would eventually be announced by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Lal Krishna Advani or Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav.

"Sangma is a candidate for president of Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik. And the question now only remains whether the NDA is backing him also. That final decision is being taken today in Advaniji's house," said Swamy.

"I can say the consensus is in favour of supporting Jayalalithaa's and Naveen Patnaik's candidate, and that officially and authoritatively only Advaniji can make the announcement, or Sharad Yadav can make that announcement," he added.

Sangma had earlier on Sunday reiterated that he was still in the fray for the presidential poll as a tribal candidate, and said that he would appeal to his party boss Sharad Pawar to back him in the race for Raisina Hill.

"I have maintained right from the beginning that I am a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, which is nothing to do with any political party. I am a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India. And, as a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, I have gone across to all political parties appealing for support. This is the position. Therefore, it is very clear that I am not an NCP candidate," said Sangma.

"Sharad Pawar is saying that he will appeal to me to withdraw. And I can tell you, I will appeal to him to support me," he added.

Sangma pointed out that both Jayalalithaa and Patnaik had proposed his name as a candidate for the presidential poll.

NCP founder president Sharad Pawar had on Sunday asked Sangma to follow coalition dharma and withdraw from the contest.

The NCP has decided to back UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee for the prestigious post.

The presidential elections will be held on July 19. The vote count will take place on July 22.

Pratibha Devisingh Patil's term as President ends on July 24.(ANI)