After his 'split' from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), political commentators in media have criticised P.A Sangma as an "opportunist" with no ideological moorings, and has written him off from the mainstream politics. Though their arguments may seem valid and even justified on the surface, deeper analysis of the circumstances leading to the parting of ways between him and the Maratha strongman, Sharad Pawar, would reveal that he was just breaking free from a party that might have sidelined him, to reassert himself.

Despite Sangma's dogged opposition to any alliance with the Congress under Sonia, Pawar had ignored the tribal leader's reservations and sought to bulldoze his way, dropping hints to the press unilaterally of breaking bread with Congress. Sidelined, and not willing to act as the second fiddle, a peeved Sangma was only expected to snap ties with his once confidant-in-arms. It was Pawar who was calling all the shots at the expense of Sangma's sentiments and standing in the north-east. It was a matter of time Sangma came out of the former's shadow. And he did.

Critics's contention that Sangma is a political chameleon flies in the face of facts. By breaking from the NCP over the issue of alliance with Sonia-led Congress, he is in fact underscoring his personal conviction about Sonia's foreign origin, an issue that originally led to the formation of NCP in the first place. While Sharad Pawar has deserted the cause of the party (NCP) by cosying up to Sonia, the former lawyer from Meghalaya remains unflinching as ever in his beliefs. And thus the inevitable break-up of the party.

Yet, it is Sangma, instead of Pawar, who is now denounced as an "opportunist". His detractors point out that his decision to ally with the BJP led NDA is an ideological equivalent of a somersault. That a former leading Congressman, who had sworn by secularism, would become an acolyte of "communal" BJP is simply unthinkable and unpardonable. But what perplexes an impassionate observer is that such universal condemnation doesn't apply to Chandrababu Naidu, an unabashed supporter of the BJP led government. Nobody questions his commitment to secularism; he is in fact hailed as the model Chief Minister in the country.

It is possible that Sangma might have been inspired by the example of TDP leader, who without actually joining the government, pulls the power strings from behind to extract financial and other concessions for his IT enabled state. So, why can't Sangma do the same for his region? Why apply a different set of moral standards to Sangma?

Whatever the justification of his splitting the NCP, Sangma is likely to reap its political dividends in the north-east. After managing to get himself elected as the leader of the newly formed North East People's Forum (NEPF), an umbrella of 17 like-minded regional and national political parties (and counting), Sangma has announced that he will support the NDA in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. If NDA comes back to power-and there are indications that it will--, Sangma might have a significant role to play in the government formation at the centre.

It has always been the refrain of the north-east that it has been underrepresented at the centre. If Sangma's NEPF could play its cards wisely, with support from AGP, that gripe may turn into a bargaining chip for bigger political role and sops. It would also silence his detractors, who accuse him of neglecting his own constituency. Tarun Gogoi, the Congress CM of Assam recently blasted him on this count, describing the former Lok Sabha Speaker as the "topmost leader of India, but without any follower". He can never claim to be a leader of the Assam or NE people…he never raised in the Parliament, as an MP, the issues that concern the north-eastern people, Gogoi complained.

To an extent, what Mr. Gogoi says is partly true. Sangma had served in the Union government and held different portfolios, including that of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 1995 under P.V Narasimha Rao, the then Prime Minister of India. Many in the north-east, of which he is the mascot, hoped at that time that he would usher in a new era of development for insurgency-torn region. But Sangma belied that hope: he had little time for his native region, caught as he was in the maze of pressing issues of the nation even as his responsibilities as a cabinet minister grew. It was a great opportunity lost for the north-east, and Sangma might now be regretting at things he could have accomplished but didn't.

The floating of NEPF is supposed to be his redeeming act, and it may well turn out to be the best thing happening to the north-east after Deve Gowda's north-east development package in 1996. The front stands a real chance of influencing the course of government formation post General Elections to be held in the coming March.

Sangma's effort at projecting a united political voice of the North-east is laudable. A north-eastern Minister in the centre is worth ten C.P Thakurs-with due respect to the current Minister for North-Eastern development-who have little first-hand knowledge of the ground reality in the strife-torn region. And with the Naga peace talks with centre poised for a long haul, a competent North-East hand in the Union government is the need of the hour, which Mr. Sangma and his NEPF can provide.

If seen from this perspective, Mr Sangma's so-called opportunistic move is his way of giving back to his community, silencing his critics and standing up for what he believes in: political empowerment of the north-east. Give him a chance.