Going further eastward, the northeastern region is seeing the rise of a star who is contending to occupy Rashtrapati Bhavan. Judging from the national political equation, Purno Agitok Sangma has already received the backing of Congress opposition forces which are considered powerful enough. The tribal card has already been stamped in favour of Purno Sangma of the Nationalist Congress Party, though the NCP is yet to make a formal announcement of Sangma as the party’s candidature.

It is in fact the BJP and the regional parties that hold the key to Rashtrapati Bhavan. It therefore depends much on the tactical move of Purno Sangama by holding the tribal card to rope in the BJP and regional parties.

The first and formal announcement for the support to Sangma had come from the AIADMK led Tamil Nadu government of Chief Minister Jayalalitha and of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) regime of Odisha led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The two Chief Ministers also have likeminded issues of federalism in the country. Sangma had called Jayalalitha at Chennai on May 15th, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was of the opinion that Sangma is eminently qualified while also belonging to the tribal community.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which announced to oppose any Congress candidate has however not come forward to support Purno Sangma. Other parties like the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD(U) BSP and left parties are watching as to whom they would swing their support to and at the same time gain political weightage. The tribal card that is being played by Sangma himself and also the AIADMK and BJD is considered to be safe.

Purno Sangma had appealed for support to other parties saying that there is a 100 million tribal population in the country. Jayalalitha had also made clear that during the past sixty years of the republic of India, while eminent personalities belonging to various communities and diverse walks of life have graced the office of Rashtrapati Bhavan, no one from the tribal community has had the opportunity so far. She further said that the AIADMK takes pride in supporting Sangma’s candidature.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister as part of her support to garner other parties for the tribal cause had taken the initiative to speak to senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, senior CPI leader A.B. Bardhan, Telegu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu, Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Sing Yadav, Shribamani Akali Dal leader and Chief Minister of Punjab Prakash Singh Badal. Jayalalitha had told the national leaders that Sangma hailing from the tribal community was well qualified to hold the post of President of India and appealed to them to support his candidature. She appealed to all parties to rise above political considerations.

The Indian Confederation of Indigenous Peoples (ICITP) has however proposed the name of Meghalaya Governor R.S. Mooshahary as the Presidential candidate and its members had met Rahul Gandhi who assured that the proposal would be further discussed. However, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has decided to support the candidature of Purno A Sangma.

The ruling Congress, without the backing of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP would however remain a minority in the electoral college comprising all members of Parliament and the members of the state legislative assemblies. It is in fact the BJP and the regional parties that hold the key to Rashtrapati Bhavan. It therefore depends much on the tactical move of Purno Sangma by holding the tribal card to rope in the BJP and regional parties.

Purno Sangma has indicated that he would leave no stone unturned in the run to Raisina Hall even to the extent of enlisting the support of his own party the NCP of which the party chief Sharad Pawar had not yet issued any commitment, the NCP having 15 members of Parliament. In fact, Purno Sangma had indicated that he had no inhibitions in even calling upon Sonia Gandhi with whom he once had an issue after he had dubbed her a foreigner. He has however stated that this issue is a closed chapter.

During the past sixty years of the republic of India, while eminent personalities belonging to various communities and diverse walks of life have graced the office of Rashtrapati Bhavan, no one from the tribal community has had the opportunity so far.

It is clear therefore that Purno Sangma is working his way up as the rising star of the northeastern region in making efforts of convincing members of Parliament and also of the legislative assemblies of the states to arrive at a consensus opinion of having an acceptable person who would occupy the Presidential chair. Notably, the tribal card has assumed its own importance, over and above the 53 tribal members in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Tribal Forum of India comprising tribal leaders of various political parties have written to all members of Parliament and political parties seeking support for a tribal candidate.

Sumar Sing Sawian