Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
Sangma wants Scheduled Tribe person to be President | As the race for Raisina Hill heats up, former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma on Friday made a fresh demand that the next president of India should be from the Scheduled Tribe (ST). Sangma informed that tribal leaders from all
over India would be meeting on May 9 to put forward their demands in this regard.
"As far as this issue is concerned, on the 9th of this month, the tribal leaders
from all over India will meet in New Delhi and place our demand that the next
president should be from the 'scheduled tribe'. In the 60 years of Indian republic,
eminent people from all communities, from all religions have become president
of India ," said Sangma. "Tribals have more than 100 million population in this
country, more than 700 recognized scheduled tribes. So, this chance should also
go to tribals," he added. Responding to a question whether he was also in the
fray for the president's post, Sangma said: "No, I am not the candidate. We are
just trying to meet the leaders of different political parties to agree on principle
that yes tribal should be their president. After this agreement in principle,
then we will think about candidate." "We have just started discussion among ourselves,
among the tribals. And today also, we are going to meet and before we meet on
the 9th we will certainly meet the leaders of all political parties including
my president Sharad Pawar," he added, when asked whether he had taken Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar into confidence on this issue. Sangma,
a Catholic and a tribal leader from the northeast, currently represents the Tura
(ST) constituency in the West Garo Hills District in the eighth Meghalaya Legislative
Assembly. He was also a co-founder of the NCP and remained a member of the Lok
Sabha for eight terms. There have been certain rumours that the Congress has been
trying to reach out to ally partners to have a consensus on Vice President Hamid
Ansari or Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the prestigious post. According
to certain media reports, Mukherjee appears to be emerging as a front-runner in
the race for the president's post within his party and outside with allies and
some others backing him. Current incumbent Pratibha Devisingh Patil's term ends
on July 25 this year. She was sworn-in as the 12th president of India on July
25, 2007. The president is the constitutional head of the country and also the
supreme commander of the armed forces.
|
|
|
|
|
|