Sharad Pawar accepts Sangma's resignation from NCP

National Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar has accepted the resignation of former Lok Sabha speaker and Presidential hopeful PA Sangma. Speaking to a group of reporters who asked him to respond to a statement made by Subramanian Swamy to the effect that Sangma had resigned, Pawar said, “If Sangma is resigning from the party as a primary member, then we accept”. Earlier Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, announced Sangma’s  resignation after concluding a meeting with the tribal leader. Swamy said that Sangma’s resignation demonstrated that people who had self respect still existed, and threw out a challenge to NCP leader Sharad Pawar to remove Sangma from the party. “If Pawar has the courage, let him throw out Sangma , and we’ll show him his place too”, he said. [caption id=“attachment_351012” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Sangma said he was humiliated: Reuters”] [/caption] In his resignation letter Sangma wrote: “The Tribal Forum of India was pleased to project me as the candidate for election to the office of President of India. Honourable Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha have also extended their support for my candidature. I have also received promises of support from senior leaders from non-Congress parties including from leaders in the National Democratic Alliance.” “However, NCP of which I am a member has not found it possible to endorse my candidature. I have been a founder member of the party. I believe that I have also worked hard for building up the base of the party in several parts of India. The disinclination of NCP to endorse my candidature amounts to a denial of the aspirations of the tribals of the country,” he wrote in the letter. Swamy said that the NCP had humiliated Sangma and he had received a call from him, expressing how unhappy he was. “The NCP and Congress is trying to humiliate him by saying that he is not of the same stature of Pranab Mukherjee”, he said. He added that Sangma was a candidate for President for Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik and the question only now remains whether the NDA is backing him or not. “That decision is being taken today in Adavnijis house”. In terms of his opinion on Sangma, Swamy said that he fully backed his candidature and was sure that even APJ Abdul Kalam who he had backed for the post previously, would support Sangma.