NEW DELHI, July 2 (IANS): Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Monday rejected presidential candidate P.A. Samgma's claim of representing all tribals of India.
Talking to reporters in the Press Club of India here, the Meghalaya chief minister questioned P.A. Sangma's contribution to his state.
"How does he claim to represent all tribals, has he got the mandate of all tribals? He also claims now to be representing the Christians, what can he do for Christians when BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is backing him," the Meghalaya chief minister, who is from the Congress, said.
Mukul Sangma and P.A. Sangma belong to the same state and tribe.
"He was in a position in the Congress that he could have made the government do anything for northeast, but what did he do? Visit his constituency, you will see the real picture," Mukul Sangma said.
He added that the Indian democracy depended not on individuals but political party system, and this stress on individual would destroy the democracy.
"Indian political system is based on parties, not individuals. If individuals are kept above party, democracy will suffer," Mukul Sangma said.
"No other party has done as much as Congress for the tribals," he added.
P.A.Sangma, who pitched himself in the presidential race on behalf of Tribal Front of India, has the backing of the BJP, the AIADMK and Biju Janata Dal. He even quit his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to fight the presidential election against Pranab Mukherjee.
He has repeatedly urged all tribal MPs and legislators to vote for him, and has claimed to have support of all tribals across the country.
