Nandan Nilekani formally joins Congress, to contest from Bangalore South

Nilekani's wife Rohini or his family members were conspicuously absent on the occasion.

Incidentally, Nilekani's name figured Saturday in the first list of candidates to contest the polls even before he became a party member.

Nilekani's entry into the party, however, was marked by chaos and unruly scenes as scores of party workers and supporters of local leaders gate-crashed into the party office hall and mobbed him on the dais.

In the excitement and frenzy that gripped the party leaders and cadres, Parameshwar and party's senior leader B.L. Shankar forgot to inform the media about the registration number of Nilekani's membership though he had signed the admission form in their presence.

The party's office-bearers scrambled to declare later that Nilekani was registered as the 121789th member of the party.