Purno A Sangma, who won Meghalaya’s Tura Parliamentary bypoll for the ninth consecutive time, said he would not clamour for a cabinet berth in the UPA government. Asked if he would try to get a berth in the Manmohan Singh government, Sangma, a former Lok Sabha Speaker and Union Minister, today said: ‘‘Not at all. Rather I would concentrate on my constituency’’.Sangma, whose NCP is an alliance partner of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre but the main Opposition party against the same ruling party in Meghalaya, said ‘‘I don’t know anything about this at the moment. If at all there is a need, the leaders from both the centre and state have to discuss the matter’’.His win in the bypoll would likely to have an effect on the Assembly election in the state due early 2008.But for that, the party would keep the tempo going. At present the effort was to revamp the party in the state, the NCP MP said. Sangma had quit the Tura seat in October 2005 to protest the twin police firing on September 30 that left nine dead and over 100 injured over the revamping of Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) issue. He termed his win in the bypoll as the people’s victory.‘‘The difference this time compared to the past years is the emotional issue of MBOSE and the police firing. Public sentiments played an important role than my personal efforts.The win vindicates that Garo hills people were against any move of bifurcation of MBOSE and their sentiments cannot be taken for granted,’’ he said.
