CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president and Erode (East) MLA E V K S Elangovan passed away at the age of 75 at a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday. Elangovan was undergoing treatment at the hospital for nearly a month for respiratory illness.
Elangovan, a grandnephew of Dravidian ideologue Periyar E V Ramasamy, served as a union minister between 2004 and 2009, holding the portfolios of petroleum and natural gas, commerce and industry, and textiles. Elangovan’s body is kept at his Manapakkam residence for public to pay homage and the final rites will be held at 4pm on Sunday at a crematorium in Mugalivakkam.
Deeply pained by the demise of the man who called a spade a spade: CM
CM M K Stalin in his condolence message, said, “Elangovan served in various capacities as the TNCC president, MLA, MP and union minister. He always had the quality to speak his mind. His demise is deeply painful to me both politically and personally.”
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, former CM O Panneerselvam, and several other leaders condoled his demise. State Congress chief Selvaperunthagai said the TNCC party flag will be flown at half-mast across Tamil Nadu as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
Elangovan is survived by his wife Varalakshmi Elangovan and son Sanjay Sampath.
With Elangovan’s demise, the Congress’s strength in the Tamil Nadu Assembly has come down from 18 to 17.
Elangovan’s son E Thirumahan Everaa, who was elected on a Congress ticket from Erode (East) Assembly constituency died in January 2023. Later, Elangovan contested from the same constituency and got elected to the Assembly. Though he wanted the party to allow his son Sanjay Sampath to contest, the AICC fielded Elangovan for the by-election.
Elangovan was born on December 21, 1948, in a family well-known for its contributions to the political and social developments in Tamil Nadu. Elangovan’s father E V K Sampath, a confidante of late DMK patriarch C N Annadurai, floated his own party Tamil Desiya Katchi after differences with Annadurai. Sampath passed away in 1977. Elangovan’s mother Sulochana Sampath was with the AIADMK till her death in 2015.
Elangovan completed his schooling in Erode’s Kalai Magal Kalvi Nilayam, Karur’s Mavadian School, St Mary’s School in Dindigul, Church Park Convent in Chennai, and Ramakrishna High School, T Nagar, Chennai. He later graduated in Economics from Chennai Presidency College.
Elangovan was active in politics right from his school days. He was elected as secretary of the Presidency College Students Congress in 1967. He held various positions in the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee such as president of Erode District Youth Congress (1978- 1980), president of Erode City Congress Committee (1980-1982), general secretary of Erode District Congress Committee (1982-1983), president of Erode District Congress Committee (1990-1996), member of All India Congress Committee, general secretary of TNCC (1998- 2000), president of TNCC (2000-2002 and 2014-2016), and working president of TNCC (2002-2003). He was also active in trade union activities and was associated with the INTUC’s transport wing for a long time.
Condolences pour in
Governor RN Ravi, Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi, ministers and leaders of various political parties paid their floral tributes to EVKS Elangovan.
Ministers Govi Chezhiaan, S N Naser, K Ponmudy, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, former Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP state president K Annamalai, former ministers D Jayakumar, K Sengottaiyan, NTK leader Seeman, and others also paid floral tributes to the leader.
In a post on X, Congress MP and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described Elangovan as a fearless and principled leader. “He was a staunch advocate for the Congress party’s values and Thanthai Periyar’s ideals,” he said.
Union Minister L Murugan, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, PMK leaders Dr S Ramadoss and Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, former TNCC president Su Thirunavukkarsar, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant also condoled his demise.