Mukul Sangma

Mukul M. Sangma (born 20 April 1965) is a politician from the Indian National Congress and is a former Chief Minister of Meghalaya. He is the current Leader of Opposition in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

Sangma was born on 20 April 1965, son of teachers Binoy Bhushan M. Marak and Roshanara Begum at Ampatigiri, now the headquarters of South West Garo Hills district. In 1990, he graduated in medicine from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal in 1990, and joined Zikzak Public Health Centre as a health and medical officer in 1991.

In 1993, Sangma was elected to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly from Ampatigiri constituency as an independent candidate, following which he was appointed as the Chairman of the Meghalaya Transport Corporation. Sangma was re-elected to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013 as a representative of the Indian National Congress candidate.

He held office as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Government of Meghalaya between the years 1996 and 1998.

In 2003, he became the home and education minister in the DD Lapang Ministry of Meghalaya. He was also appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya in 2005.

In May 2009, he became the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, acting as a representative of the Indian National Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) government.

In April 2010, Sangma took oath as the 11th Chief Minister of Meghalaya, following the resignation of DD Lapang. He was sworn in for a second straight term in March 2013.

Sangma was named as one of the candidates for the 2018 Assembly Elections in Meghalaya, contesting for seats from the Songsak and Ampathi constituencies in which he won from both. Currently, he serves as the Leader of Opposition in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

In 2015, Sangma launched the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme, a scheme to provide health coverage to families that exist below the poverty line. He launched Phase 2 in 2015, which aimed at providing a comprehensive health cover to the citizens of the state.

Sangma has launched multiple Social Assistance Programmes, including the Special Wedding Assistance Scheme for orphaned girls over the age of 18 and a programme for providing aid to single mothers and orphaned girls.

In 2017, Sangma launched the Life Programme (Livelihood Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship), aimed towards empowering people for economic prosperity. He also laid the foundations for the Shillong Government College of Engineering, the first engineering college in the state of Meghalaya, followed by two more colleges at Malwai and Tura.

He launched "Mission Football", an initiative to promote sports in Meghalaya and develop the sports at a grassroots level.

In 2018, he launched a Career Guidance Program to offer specialized coaching support for underprivileged students.

• Elected to Meghalaya Legislative Assembly in 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013.
• Parliamentary Secretary of the Government of Meghalaya between 1996 and 1998.
• Home and Education Minister of Meghalaya in 2003.
• Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya in 2005 and 2009.
• Chief Minister of Meghalaya in 2010 and 2013.

Sangma is married to Dikkanchi D. Shira, who is an M.L.A., and has 4 children. His eldest daughter, Miani D. Shira, and his brother, Zenith Sangma, are also politicians.