 His opponent was Khalil Sahim.There were 101 registered electors in the constituency of whom 63 voted for Rao, 20 for Sahim and 5 spoilt their ballot paper

Two weeks after being sworn in he, together with the other two Indo-Fijians representatives, resigned when a motion asking for equal political rights for Indo-Fijians was defeated.Rao was the proprietor of one of the first picture theatres in Fiji in the old capital of Levuka, on the island of Ovalau.