Tamil Nadu Congress again turns to trusted E V K S Elangovan for Erode bypoll

The grandnephew of one of Tamil Nadu’s foremost social reformers, Periyar, Elangovan, 74, is considered one of the few undisputed leaders of the Congress in the state. Referred to as “appa (dad)” by many younger leaders and as ‘Thanmaana Thalaivar (or a leader with self-respect)’ by others, Elangovan is credited with uniting the many factions of the Congress as the state unit chief.

He also remains among the first people the party turns to in a crisis, be it threats of a split or the need to woo top leaders back.

Elangovan’s father E V K Sampath was the son of Periyar’s brother. Sampath had gone with C N Annadurai when he left Periyar’s Dravidar Kazhagam and established the DMK. Later, Sampath joined the Congress, with Elangovan consequently becoming a member of the party.

Veteran Tamil actor and politician Sivaji Ganesan is believed to have played a key role in Elangovan getting his first ticket for the Assembly polls, from Sathyamangalam in 1984.

Incidentally, while Elangovan and his father Sampath were in the Congress, his mother Sulochana Sampath was an AIADMK leader, much respected by supremo J Jayalalithaa and valued for the Periyar link. At one point, Sulochana held the post of AIADMK organising secretary, with the family ties often strained due to their positions in different parties.

When G K Moopanar split the Congress and founded the Tamil Manila Congress in 1996, Elangovan was among the senior leaders who stood with the Congress party. In 2000, Elangovan was appointed Tamil Nadu Congress chief for the first time.

Moopanar’s son G K Vasan’s return to the Congress after his father’s death in 2001 was also credited to Elangovan. He even made way as state unit chief so that Vasan could take over.

Before the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Elangovan again played a crucial role in facilitating P Chidambaram’s return to the Congress. Chidambaram was at the time running the ‘Congress Jananayaga Peravai’ party.

After winning the Lok Sabha elections that year, Elangovan was made a minister in the first UPA government at the Centre. However, he lost the 2009 elections and was made the TNCC chief for the second time in November 2014, handpicked by Sonia Gandhi to avert a split by Vasan. He held the post till June 2016.

Congress spokesperson Anand Srinivasan, a writer who got associated with the party during this time, said Elangovan had brought in many people like him. One of them was actor-turned-politician Khushbu, who came to the party from the DMK, but has now gone to the BJP. “During his period, a lot of young talent found space in the party, while the IT wing of the Congress found momentum,” says Srinivasan.

Despite his successful stints as state party leader, Elangovan has at the same time run into controversy for his remarks, particularly personal comments directed at rivals, including the late DMK chief M Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa.

On his desire that his second son Sanjay Sampath get the Erode East seat ticket, a senior Congress leader said both the Congress and ally DMK thought Elangovan was the best choice for the constituency. “Sanjay, who runs an export company, has never been active in politics,” the leader said.