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Agatha Sangma vacates Meghalaya Assembly seat for CM
Shillong, July 2 (IANS) National People’s Party (NPP) legislator Agatha Sangma on Monday resigned as the member of Meghalaya Assembly, paving the way for Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to contest the by-election and continue in the post.
Agatha, who is the youngest sister of Conrad and daughter of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Sangma, submitted her resignation letter to Assembly Deputy Speaker Timothy Dalbot Shira in the presence of NPP legislator Thomas Sangma.
The resignation followed as veteran Congress legislator Martin Danggo resigned as member of Meghalaya Assembly as well as from the primary membership of the Congress on Friday to join the ruling NPP.
“I have resigned as member of the Meghalaya assembly to pave way for the Chief Minister to contest the by-election from South Tura assembly seat. I have vacated the seat in the interest of the people of my constituency and the state as a whole,” she told IANS.
Agatha, a former Union Minister, had defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Billy Kid Sangma by a margin of 1,603 votes in the February 27 assembly elections.
Asked if she would return to national politics, Agatha said: “We haven’t decided on that but let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Agatha’s foray into electoral politics began with the 2008 Lok Sabha by-poll after her father vacated the Tura parliamentary seat for her. She retained the Lok Sabha in 2009 election and was inducted as a Minister of State in the UPA-2 Manmohan Singh Cabinet
Conrad, the lone NPP Lok Sabha member from Tura constituency, who was sworn as the 12th Chief Minister of Meghalaya on March 6, is a non-elected member to the 60-member assembly.
Conrad assumed the top post of Meghalaya, which is father had held for a short period, after the regional parties — United Democratic Party, People’s Democratic Front and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) — decided to support the NPP in forming the government on condition that the NPP leader would be the Chief Minister.
Two BJP legislators, lone Nationalist Congress Party member and two Independent legislators are also supporting the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.
Conrad, who took oath as Chief Minister on March 6, should be elected as member of the Meghalaya Assembly by September 5.
In the House, the ruling NPP’s strength has now gone down to 19, while the opposition Congress has emerged as the single-largest party with 20 members.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.