Independent member joins Congress

Pondicherry, Apr 6 (UNI) The Congress received a shot in the arm ahead of the assembly election in this union territory when Independent member from Yanam constituency Malladi Krishna Rao joined the party today.

Mr Rao, who joined the party in the presence of Chief Minister N Rangasamy and PCC president P Shanmugham, will contest the elections from his constituency on a Congress ticket.

He contested as an Independent from Yanam in 1996 assembly poll and defeated his Congress rival Velaga Rajeswara Rao by a margin of 4843 votes.

Mr Rao, who was supporting the Congress Government had resigned from the assembly on May 30, 2000, to enable Mr Shanmugham to contest the election.

Mr Shanmugham, who was not a member of the House till then, had sworn in as the Chief Minister after the fall of R V Janakiraman-led Government.

In the 2001 assembly poll too, Mr Rao, contested as an Independent and won.

Later, talking to newspersons Mr Rao said the Congress Government headed by Mr Rangasamy had implemented several measures for the welfare of people and this prompted him to join the party.

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