Elumalai back in Congress

PUDUCHERRY: Former minister A Elumalai re-joined Congress here on Saturday. Elumalai who was minister for local administration in the Congress government, quit in 2006 when he was not given a ticket to contest the elections. The seat went to DMK in the alliance. Elumalai contested as an independent from Ossudu constituency and won the elections. As an independent he extended support to the Congress government. However, in this year’s elections he lost the Ossudu seat to the AINRC .Narayanasamy flays AINRC government Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public grievances, Pensions and Prime Ministers Office V Narayanasamy  questioned the government for non-implementation of Goondas Act despite  a rise in the crime rate in Puducherry. Speaking at a function where former Congress minister A Elumalai rejoined the party on Saturday, he said that in the past three months Puducherry had witnessed 26 murders in addition to thefts, chain-snatching and numerous extortion bids.Murders and extortion were being masterminded from the Puducherry central prison through cell phones, but despite that the Act was not used to book criminals. Referring to the ‘Namathu Rajyam’ (people’s own state) in theAINRC party name , he said that Puducherry had instead become rowdy rajyam. Further, he flayed the AINRC government for its failure to keep the election promises. He said that so far the government had been unable to provide 20 kg of free rice to red card holders and 15 kg to yellow card holders. Neither has the old age pension been enhanced to `2000. If people supported the Congress it would certainly secure funds from Central government, he said.