E. V. K. S. Elangovan

Erode Venkata Krishnasamy Sampath Elangovan (21 December 1948 – 14 December 2024) was an Indian politician who was a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, representing the Erode East Assembly constituency. He previously represented the Gobichettipalayam Lok Sabha constituency of Tamil Nadu and was the Textiles Minister for the Union Government between 2004 and 2009, in Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Government. He was a member of the Indian National Congress party.

Background Elangovan was born in Erode District on 21 December 1948. He was the son of E. V. K. Sampath and the grandson of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy's brother Krishnasamy.

Political career In the 2009 Lok Sabha election, he lost to A. Ganeshamurthi of the MDMK by 49,336 votes in Erode constituency. He was appointed President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee by All India Congress Committee Chief Sonia Gandhi on 31 October 2014, followed by the resignation of B. S. Gnanadesikan. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election he lost to O. P. Ravindranath Kumar, the son of O. Panneerselvam, in Theni. Elangovan was the only candidate of the UPA to lose in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. He was also elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly in Tamil Nadu from Sathyamangalam Assembly constituency in 1984 and Erode East constituency in a by-election in 2023, due to the death of his son Thirumagan Evera.

Elections contested and positions held Lok Sabha elections

Tamil Nadu Legislative elections ElectionsConstituencyPartyResultVote percentageOpposition CandidateOpposition PartyOpposition vote percentage1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSathyamangalamINC62.97T. K. SubramaniamDMK31.04 1989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionBhavanisagarIndependent7.90V. K. ChinnasamyAIADMK37.442023 By-ElectionErode EastINC 64.96K. S. ThennarasuAIADMK25.83