Agatha K. Sangma | |
Birth Name: | Agatha Kongkal Sangma |
Birth Date: | 24 July 1980 |
Birth Place: | New Delhi, India |
Constituency: | Tura |
Office: | Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha |
Term Start: | 17 June 2019 |
Term End: | 04 June 2024 |
Predecessor: | Conrad Sangma |
Successor: | Saleng A. Sangma |
Primeminister: | Narendra Modi |
Office4: | Minister of State for Rural Development |
Term Start4: | May 2009 |
Term End4: | October 2012 |
Successor4: | Suryakanta Patil |
Constituency2: | Tura |
Term Start2: | May 2009 |
Term End2: | May 2014 |
Successor2: | P. A. Sangma |
Constituency3: | Tura |
Term Start3: | May 2008 |
Term End3: | May 2009 |
Predecessor3: | P. A. Sangma |
Successor3: | Incumbent |
Party: | National People's Party |
Otherparty: | Nationalist Congress Party |
Alma Mater: | Pune University University of Nottingham |
Father: | P. A. Sangma |
Relatives: | James Sangma (brother) Conrad Sangma (brother) |
Agatha Kongkal Sangma (born 24 July 1980) is an Indian politician. A former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha representing the Tura constituency of Meghalaya.[1] At the age of 29, she is the youngest member of parliament ever in India to be appointed Union Minister in Government of India till date. Sangma is the second woman from Northeast India to be appointed a union minister in the Government of India after Renuka Devi Barkataki from Assam.[2] She is a member of National People's Party.
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.[3] Her brother Conrad Sangma is the Chief Minister in the Meghalaya State Assembly.[4] Agatha married Patrick Rongma Marak, a physician, on 21 November 2019.[5] [6]
Sangma received her LLB degree from Pune University and later joined the bar in Delhi High Court. She earned her master's degree in environmental management at the University of Nottingham, UK.[7]
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 enter state politics. Later she was re elected to 15th Lok Sabha. At age 29, Sangma is the youngest Member of Parliament ever to be appointed Union Minister in Government of India till date.
Sangma was Minister of State for Rural development. She resigned from this post during the cabinet reshuffle in October 2012.[8] [9]
It was reported in November 2017 that she would contest the 2018 Meghalaya legislative assembly election on a National People's Party (NPP) ticket.[10] She contested from the South Tura constituency and polled 6,499 votes winning the seat.[11] 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.[12]