Tura, Mar 13: Atul Marak, one of the senior most Congress leaders and ministers during the 1980s and 1990s, passed away early Sunday morning while undergoing treatment in Shillong. His remains have been brought to his home in KA Road, Tura and his funeral will take place at 10 AM. He was 78 years old.

Late Atul Marak joined the Congress as a youth leader and became the youth congress president. He was a close confidant of Meghalaya’s first chief minister Late Captain Williamson A Sangma and Late P A Sangma. When Salseng C Marak became chief minister, Late Atul Marak was one of the senior most in the state cabinet. He held various ministerial portfolios. He won from Selsella constituency four times as a Congress candidate.

When P A Sangma broke away from the Congress to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar following their expulsion by Sonia Gandhi for questioning her foreign origins to lead the Indian National Congress, Atul Marak took on him as the Congress candidate for the Tura Lok sabha seat in 1999, unsuccessfully.

After his defeat in state elections in 1998, he left the Congress and joined the NCP. He also became a member of the BJP when Atal Behari Vajpayee was Prime Minister of India. His last election was as an Independent in 2013 from his constituency of Selsella, but lost the polls.

He leaves behind his wife, a daughter and two sons.

CM condoles demise of Atul Marak

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma has condoled the death of Late Atul C Marak recalling his contributions to Meghalaya and his close bonding with Late P A Sangma.

I along with the people of the State, deeply mourn the demise of eminent politician, Sh Atul Marak. As former Minister, Sh Atul served the people with dedication & humility. He was a valued colleague of my late Father and will always be remembered for his leadership in Garo Hills pic.twitter.com/4FMrCTki9X

— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) March 13, 2022

“I, along with the people of the state, deeply mourn the demise. As a former minister, he served the people with dedication and humility. He was a valued colleague of my late father and will always be remembered for his leadership, especially in Garo Hills, ” said Conrad Sangma in his condolence message.