GUWAHATI: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is likely to support Purno A Sangma's bid for the President's post after the former Lok Sabha speaker reached out to all political parties. The tribal leader already has official support from BJD chief and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. AGP has one MP in Rajya Sabha and one in Lok Sabha. The party also has ten MLAs in the Assam assembly.
Though, AGP is yet to take the decision formally, the party is planning to soon discuss its stand on Sangma's candidature officially. Newly elected party president and former chief minister Prafulla Mahanta told TOI that the party will consider supporting a candidate representing the northeast. Without taking the name of Sangma as AGP's favourite candidate in the presidential race, Mahanta said that the party will surely stand by someone who belongs to the northeast. "Being a regional party, AGP will prefer a candidate from the region," he said. "However, We have not taken a final decision. The party has to discuss the issue," said Mahanta.
On Tuesday, Sangma sought backing of political parties in northeastern states and hoped they would respond to the call of the conscience of the nation's tribal people. Sangma claimed he has the support of tribal leaders from across parties. He said he had held talks with MPs from Nagaland and Sikkim who have promised him their support. Party sources said that Sangma's son Conrad Sangma, Leader of Opposition in Meghalaya assembly, is going to meet Mahanta soon to garner AGP's support for his father.
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