NEW DELHI, March 4 - Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, who had a chequered political career in which he constantly shifted allegiance in the last two decades, died here today following a massive heart attack.
The 68-year-old Sangma, who was elected nine times to Lok Sabha from Tura in Meghalaya and who became the first Lok Sabha Speaker from the North East, breathed his last here this morning.
The news of his death was broken by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who made obituary reference to him and adjourned the House for the day as a mark of respect.
Later, setting aside protocol, the Rajya Sabha also adjourned after lunch for members to pay homage to Sangma, whose body will be taken to his home in Meghalaya.
Sangma leaves his wife Sorodini, two sons � Conrad, a former Finance Minister in Meghalaya, James, a sitting MLA, and daughter Agatha, who was the youngest minister in Manmohan Singh�s ministry when she was inducted in 2009.
In the 11th Lok Sabha, shortage of numbers forced the BJP to accept Congress candidate Sangma as Speaker after Atal Bihari Vajpayee was sworn in as Prime Minister at the head of a short-lived 13-day government.
He became a Minister of State in the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1984 and rose to be the Labour Minister in the Narasimha Rao�s Cabinet.
Sangma was among those who rose in revolt against Sonia Gandhi�s foreign origin, in 1999, along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar to form the Nationalist Congress Party, which he left to join Trinamool Congress. � PTI
