Suspended Congress leaders from Puducherry join BJP

A. Namassivayam was suspended following his decision to quit the Cabinet

A Namassivayam, E Theeppainthan and A Jayakumar met BJP chief JP Nadda after joining the party in New Delhi on Thursday.

Suspended Congress leaders A. Namassivayam and E. Theeppainthan on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

Mr. Namassivayam, Mr. Theeppainthan and a few other Congress functionaries joined the BJP in the presence of party national general secretary Arun Singh and UT in-charge Nirmal Kumar Surana.

The newly inducted leaders later called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party national president J. P. Nadda.

The Congress had suspended Mr. Namassivayam on Monday following his decision to quit the V. Narayanasamy-led Cabinet and resign his MLA’s post. Mr Theeppainthan was also suspended for resigning his MLA’s post along with the former Minister.

Mr. Namassivayam started his career as a youth leader in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and then moved to the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1996.

He contested the Assembly poll on MDMK ticket from Ozhuvarkarai but lost. Ahead of the 2001 Assembly poll, he contested from the same constituency on TMC ticket and won the seat.

He became a Minister in the coalition Ministry led by N. Rangasamy (then in the Congress). He joined the Congress ahead of the 2006 Assembly election and till his resignation as legislator represented Villianur constituency. In 2015, he was appointed Puducherry Congress Committee president.