NEW DELHI: Former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Sangma on Friday affirmed his commitment to the basic Congress ideology and expressed his admiration for Rahul Gandhi. With his daughter Agatha now a minister in the Congress-led government, the NCP leader made it clear that he was ready for reconciliation with the Gandhi-Nehru family.
Earlier this week, he along with Agatha had called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to invite her to a reception for his son Conrad's wedding.
It was an emotive moment since Sangma — rising fast in Congress politics in the early 1990s — had revolted against Sonia questioning her leadership credentials on the basis of her foreign origins. He along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar had left Congress to start a breakaway faction — Nationalist Congress Party.
"I thought it was time to say, `Let's forget the past'," he said about his visit to 10 Janpath in years. He took the opportunity to apologise for "what happened". Sonia, according to him, reciprocated. "She was gracious enough to say, `Yes, it is time to forget the past'," Sangma told TOI recalling the conversation. Sonia told him that she had no ill-feeling towards him. "I expressed my gratefulness," he said.
Agatha, too, sought her blessings and was moved by Sonia's affection.
With the ghost from the past buried, Sangma sought to make sure that the next generation could move forward without bad memories.
"I am basically wedded to the Congress ideology," he insisted. "NCP ideology is no different from the Congress ideology; I see no reason why Congress and NCP should not work together."
Sangma applauded Rahul for his decision to chuck a ministerial job to concentrate on his party work. "I have a lot of admiration for Rahul; he is not in a hurry, has a long-term policy; he is a Prime Minister in the making," he said.
Sangma said that he would back Rahul whenever the young leader was ready for the top job.
He tried to meet Rahul to invite him to his son's wedding reception. The meeting could not happen since Rahul was busy in Amethi. "But he called me saying sorry," Sangma said.
At 62, the strong man from Meghalaya sees a new innings for himself in national politics. As a member of a UN panel, he travels around the world to talk about democracy and his own experience to the legislators in new democracies. He has been to Trindad, Tobago, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
"What I have been doing abroad I can do here as well," he said. He has already received requests to train the young MPs.
As for the BJP, he recommends a soul-searching course. "The BJP has to undergo tremendous transformation, they have to become a secular party," Sangma said. He believes the country is moving towards a two-party system with the smaller outfits surrendering their space to the big players.
Source: Bhaskar Roy, TNN
Earlier this week, he along with Agatha had called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to invite her to a reception for his son Conrad's wedding.
It was an emotive moment since Sangma — rising fast in Congress politics in the early 1990s — had revolted against Sonia questioning her leadership credentials on the basis of her foreign origins. He along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar had left Congress to start a breakaway faction — Nationalist Congress Party.
"I thought it was time to say, `Let's forget the past'," he said about his visit to 10 Janpath in years. He took the opportunity to apologise for "what happened". Sonia, according to him, reciprocated. "She was gracious enough to say, `Yes, it is time to forget the past'," Sangma told TOI recalling the conversation. Sonia told him that she had no ill-feeling towards him. "I expressed my gratefulness," he said.
Agatha, too, sought her blessings and was moved by Sonia's affection.
With the ghost from the past buried, Sangma sought to make sure that the next generation could move forward without bad memories.
"I am basically wedded to the Congress ideology," he insisted. "NCP ideology is no different from the Congress ideology; I see no reason why Congress and NCP should not work together."
Sangma applauded Rahul for his decision to chuck a ministerial job to concentrate on his party work. "I have a lot of admiration for Rahul; he is not in a hurry, has a long-term policy; he is a Prime Minister in the making," he said.
Sangma said that he would back Rahul whenever the young leader was ready for the top job.
He tried to meet Rahul to invite him to his son's wedding reception. The meeting could not happen since Rahul was busy in Amethi. "But he called me saying sorry," Sangma said.
At 62, the strong man from Meghalaya sees a new innings for himself in national politics. As a member of a UN panel, he travels around the world to talk about democracy and his own experience to the legislators in new democracies. He has been to Trindad, Tobago, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
"What I have been doing abroad I can do here as well," he said. He has already received requests to train the young MPs.
As for the BJP, he recommends a soul-searching course. "The BJP has to undergo tremendous transformation, they have to become a secular party," Sangma said. He believes the country is moving towards a two-party system with the smaller outfits surrendering their space to the big players.
Source: Bhaskar Roy, TNN
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