Ex-RBI officer dubs Agatha ‘non-performing person’

Tura (Meghalaya), April 3 (IANS) Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Chief General Manager Beryl Sangma on Wednesday described former Union Minister Agatha Sangma, the National People Party (NPP) candidate from Tura Lok Sabha seat, a "non-performing person".

Agatha, 38, the younger sister of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and daughter of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Sangma, was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Tura and served as a Minister in the UPA-II government.

Quoting Parliamentary Research Studies, the former RBI official said: "Agatha Sangma's attendance in Parliament was 49 per cent and the number of debates she took part in was zero. The number of questions she asked was also zero during her tenure as an MP.

"What was Agatha doing in New Delhi as a MP," Berly Sangma asked.

"That is why people started calling NPP as Non-Performing Party and Agatha Sangma as Non-Performing Person. She has not done anything. Neither she has any credibility or capacity to do anything to speak for the people in Parliament and bring developmental works for Garo Hills," he said.

"She has proved herself to be incapable of holding this post of MP. While Mukul Sangma has been nationally known as incumbent Chief Minister and the 'Do-er' and we need people like him to represent us in Parliament," Beryl Sangma said.

Agatha Sangma, who is pitted against Congress heavyweight and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, is supported by the ruling parties of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance barring the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The BJP is fighting the election on its own.

Tura has been without a Lok Sabha member since last year as Conrad Sangma had resigned from Parliament after he was elected a member of the Meghalaya Assembly.