Sangma claims support of majority of NCP workers

NEW DELHI, Feb 2 (UNI) PA Sangma, who parted company with Nationalist Congress Party, led by Sharad Pawar, today said his group would submit all necessary documents before the Election Comission to stake claim for the party's symbol and flag.

Talking to newsmen here today after almost the entire Uttar Pradesh unit of the NCP extended support to him, Sangma challenged Pawar's claim of majority and said he would prove before the Election Commission on February 13 that his faction is the real NCP.

Asked how he would counter Pawar's claim, the former Lok Sabha speaker and North East People's Forum leader said "I have plenty of documents such as the 1999 NCP manifesto." Elaborating, he said it was on June 10, 1999 that the Nationalist Congress was born, when Sharad Pawar, Tariq Anwar and he were expelled from the Congress when they raised what has popularly come to be known as `issue of foreign orign'.

For the past five years the party workers all over the country galvanized people and sought support on the issue of foreign origin.

Now since Pawar has chosen to align with the same forces (Indian National Congress), he raised the banner of revolt, he said.

Sangma claimed that he has the support of more than 90 party workers of UP, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal.

On his party's role in the Lok Sabha elections.

Sangma said he was still in touch with the NDA.

"The NCP's presence will be all over the country", he said.

Dr Hardatta Shukla, president of the UP unit of the NCP said the state unit at its emergency meeting, had removed president AH Rizvi from the post of president and also from the party for his statement that the entire party was with Pawar.

The NCP in UP had asked for two seats and was hopeful that the NDA would agree to the demand, he added.