SP Velumani, the stalwart from Coimbatore, is a story that teaches cadre that anyone can rise through loyalty.
Hailing from Sugunapuram in Kuniyamuthur, the 47-year-old has been a member of AIADMK for over two decades. His political career began when he became the Kuniamuthur Municipality Chairman in 2001.
In 2006, after completing his term as the municipal chairman, Velumani, a Gounder from the community’s stronghold in the west, was given an Assembly ticket, which he won from the Perur constituency. In 2011 elections, he contested from the newly-created Thondamuthur constituency and won by a margin of over 50,000 votes. When Jayalalithaa was sworn in as the Chief Minister on May 15, 2011, Velumani was given the portfolio of Special Programme Implementation, the newly-formed department to look after important welfare schemes like free laptop, free mixie, grinder and fan to the public.
A month later, he was made the industries minister. In 2014, when AIADMK enjoyed a resounding victory in the Lok SAbha elections, Velumani became the municipal administration minister.
He was re-elected from the Thondamuthur constituency in 2016 and continued as the municipal administration minister.