Who was Ricky J Syngkon? Shillong MP dies after collapsing while playing futsal| India News

Meghalaya MP Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon died on Thursday evening due to a heart attack. The 54-year-old was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed while playing futsal in a field in the outskirts of Shillong.

People familiar with the matter told HT that the MP was declared dead at 7 PM due to a heart attack.

Meghalaya chief minister expressed profound grief over the untimely demise of the Lok Sabha MP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the death.

“He will be remembered for his dedicated service to the people of Meghalaya. My thoughts are with his family, friends and supporters during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace,” wrote Modi on X.

The Meghalaya assembly session for February 20, during which the state budget is scheduled to be presented, is expected to be adjourned as a mark of respect to the Shillong MP.

“I have communicated to the Deputy CM that it would be appropriate for the government not to go ahead with the proceedings of the House tomorrow. Even though tomorrow is the day we are supposed to present the budget, it will make absolute sense and a mark of respect to the departed soul if we were to postpone even the presentation of the budget,” Sangma told news agency PTI.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 2024 general elections from the Voice of the People’s Party. He secured 5,71,078 votes out of 10,33,251 votes polled in the Shillong constituency, defeating the three-time incumbent MP Vincent H Pala of the Congress.

Before entering politics, Syngkon was an assistant professor in the Department of Commerce at North-Eastern Hill University.

Syngkon got his Masters of Arts in economics, Masters of Commerce and Doctor of Philosophy in economics from the School Of Economics Management and Information Sciences at North Eastern Hill University in 2007.

Syngkon is survived by a brother and two sisters. His wife, Audrey, passed away in 2019.