Chennai: Senior Congress leader and MLA EVKS Elangovan was declared dead by a private hospital here at the state capital, on Saturday. He was 75. He was admitted to a private hospital here for nearly a month. The hospital administration revealed that he passed away at 10.12 am.
A medical bulletin published by the hospital said Elangovan was admitted last month for treatment. Dr. Prithvi Mohandas, Managing Director of MIOT International, in the bulletin said, the hospital's medical team made their best efforts to treat him. "Despite that, he passed away on Dec. 14," the doctor said.
His father EVK Sampath, one of the “big five” that formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) and grandnephew of Periyar EV Ramasamy. Sampath broke away from Periyar's Dravidar Kazhagam to found DMK and later quit it to join Congress.
The former Union Minister was a classmate of former Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, at Church Park Convent(now a girls only institution).
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge shared their condolence messages in social media.
"Saddened by the passing of Thiru EVKS Elangovan, former Union Minister and former TNPCC President. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones. A fearless and principled leader, he was a staunch advocate for the Congress Party’s values and Thanthai Periyar's ideals. His dedicated service to Tamil Nadu will forever remain an inspiration," he wrote in X.
Saddened by the passing of Thiru EVKS Elangovan, former Union Minister and former TNPCC President. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 14, 2024
A fearless and principled leader, he was a staunch advocate for the Congress Party’s values and Thanthai Periyar’s…
Kharge remembered the deceased as a "candid and courageous" leader. "A candid and courageous leader, he was a consensus builder. He devoted his entire life to upholding the progressive ideals and principles of the Congress Party and Thanthai Periyar, serving the people of Tamil Nadu with steadfast dedication and commitment. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and followers."
Deeply saddened by the passing of Former Union Minister, Former PCC President of @INCTamilNadu, and Erode MLA, Thiru EVKS Elangovan.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) December 14, 2024
A candid and courageous leader, he was a consensus builder. He devoted his entire life to upholding the progressive ideals and principles of the… pic.twitter.com/33pp6Jxm1A
Actor and founder of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam(TVK) Vijay condoled the demise of the senior Congress leader and sent out a condolence message to the party cadres and the bereaved family, saying that he was "deeply saddened".
"I express my deepest condolences to his bereaved family and the Congress party," Vijay said in the statement.
Earlier in March 2023, he won the bypoll held recently to the Erode (East) Assembly constituency. The seat fell vacant after Elangovan's son E Thirumahan Everaa, the sitting legislator, died in January 2023 following an illness.
At the time of filing nominations, Elangovan spoke confident of his victory and also emerged victorious. During the campaign, he lauded the performance of the Tamil Nadu government under Chief Minister M K Stalin. He was also positive about the developmental works being implemented in the district by the DMK government.
"After winning the bypoll, I would give importance to solving traffic congestion and other problems in Erode. Pollution woes will also be given importance," PTI quoted Elangovan as having said.
Thus, both the son and the father were elected to the same House-- 16th Assembly-- from the same seat, at different times. The seat will be declared vacant again and will go to bypolls.
Elangovan has held the post of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee's president and has been a former Union Minister as well.
He had served as MoS Petroleum and Natural Gas briefly, later as MoS Commerce and Industry, Textiles in the Manmohan Singh government after being elected to the 14th Lok Sabha(2004-2009).
He has held different posts in Congress as working president during 2002-2003, president during 2000-2002, general secretary during 1998-2000 of its TNCC. He had earlier been elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly during 1984-1987.
