SHILLONG: Two decades after veteran scholar-turned-politician George Gilbert Swell, then Rajya Sabha member from Meghalaya, lost the fight for Raisina Hills, the name of yet another well-known and revered personality from the hill state is doing the rounds for the highest position in the country.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A'gitok Sangma, who is currently a member of Meghalaya assembly from the Tura constituency, has emerged as one of the frontrunners for the President's post with a conglomerate of tribal bodies, besides heavyweight politicians like Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, backing his candidature.
Though there has been a mixed response in the political circles here to Sangma's bid for the top position so far, observers say his "tribal card" could turn out to be crucial. The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee has been quick to distance itself from the NCP leader's ambitions, with the Congress and the NCP being at loggerheads as principal ruling and opposition parties respectively in the assembly.
On July 24, 1992, the Election Commission held indirect 10th presidential elections with Shankar Dayal Sharma securing 675,864 votes, defeating his nearest rival GG Swell who got 346,485 votes. The top two candidates were Shankar Dayal Sharma, put forth by Indian National Congress and BJP/National Front candidate George Gilbert Swell, member of Rajya Sabha from Meghalaya.
Swell was a formidable force behind the peaceful Hill State Movement that culminated in the statehood of Meghalaya. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Autonomous Districts Lok Sabha constituency in 1962, 1967 and 1971 and from Shillong Lok Sabha constituency in 1984 and 1996.
He was the deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha from December 9, 1969 to December 27, 1970 in 4th Lok Sabha and again from March 27, 1971 to January 18, 1977.
Swell, who passed away in 1999, had also served as India's ambassador to Norway and Burma.
This time, the focus in the run up to the presidential polls is on Sangma, by far the best known political face from the northeast.
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