Will accept Sangma's resignation:, says Pawar

New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) Soon after Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy announced Wednesday that former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma had decided to quit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), party chief Sharad Pawar said he will accept the resignation.

"We will accept immediately...he is resigning from primary membership...we will inform speaker of Meghalaya assembly," Pawar told reporters.

Terming Sangma's move "unfortunate", NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi said he was surprised that the former speaker had not followed his words, and had taken a completely different line.

"It is unfortutnate...I am surprised that Sangma did not follow his words...he had told us 10 days ago that he will go by the party line," Triptahi told reporters.

Sangma is a member of the Meghalaya legislative assembly.

Pawar had been urging Sangma not to go ahead with his plan to contest the presidential poll July 19, and instead follow the party line in supporting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) nominee Pranab Mukherjee.

The NCP is a constituent of the ruling UPA.

Tripathi refused to comment on the status of the former Speaker's daughter Agatha Sangma, who is a minister of state in the UPA government.

"Neither has she said anything on the presidential polls, nor has she resigned...I will not like to comment on her," said Tripathi.