Agatha Sangma


Agatha Kongkal Sangma is a Member of Parliament of India, and a part of the 17th Lok Sabha. She represented the Tura constituency of Meghalaya following the 2009 parliamentary election as a candidate of the Nationalist Congress Party. She was the youngest Minister of State in the UPA 2nd Manmohan singh Cabinet.

Early and personal life

Agatha Sangma was born in New Delhi to P. A. Sangma, the former speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Soradini K. Sangma. She was brought up in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Her brother Conrad Sangma is the Chief Minister in the Meghalaya State Assembly. Agatha married Dr. Patrick Rongma Marak on 21 November 2019.

Education

She received her LLB degree from Pune University and later joined the bar in Delhi High Court. She did her master's degree in environmental management at the University of Nottingham, UK.

Career

Agatha Sangma was first elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in a by-election in May 2008, after her father P.A. Sangma resigned from the seat to join state politics. Later she was re elected to 15th Lok Sabha where she is the youngest Indian MP. At age 29, she was the youngest minister in the council of ministers of 15th Lok Sabha.
Sangma was a minister of state for Rural development. She resigned from this post during the cabinet reshuffle in October 2012. Agatha Sangma is a lawyer, an environmentalist.
It was reported in November 2017 that she would contest the 2018 Meghalaya legislative assembly election on a National People's Party ticket. She contested from the South Tura constituency and polled 6,499 votes winning the seat. But she submitted her resignation as member of the House in an attempt to pave way for her brother to contest the bypoll from her constituency.