E. V. Velu

Ethirajulu Vajjaravelu or E. V. Velu (born 15 March 1951) is an Indian senior politician who has been serving as the Minister of Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports in the M. K. Stalin ministry of the state of Tamil Nadu since 2021.2026 He formerly served as the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the state under M. Karunanidhi (2006–2011).

Early life Velu was born in Koovanur near Manalurpet in Kallakurichi district in a Telugu Gavara Naidu family on 15 March 1951. His parents Ethirajulu and Saraswati Ammal were farmers. He holds a master's degree in history from Annamalai University. Velu started out as a pump repairman but later joined a bus company named as Dhamodharan Bus Services in the Tiruvannamalai district as a bus conductor. An admirer of M. G. Ramachandran, he became an AIADMK member on its inception, becoming its deputy organizer for Thandarambattu.

He was involved in film distribution along with politics and acted in a couple of films like Thilakam.

Political career He has served as a Minister for Public Works and Highways Minister of Tamil nadu.

He formerly served as the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the state under M. Karunanidhi (2006–2011).

Velu has been elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party candidate from Thandarambattu constituency, in 1984. In 1997, he joined DMK (at a time when the MGR Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam split from the AIADMK to ally with the BJP) and got elected from the same constituency in 2001 and 2006. He was subsequently elected twice from Tiruvannamalai constituency as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate in 2011 and 2016 and 2021.

Controversies

"India" comment After the DMK joined the I.N.D.I.A political alliance, Velu gave a speech regarding the word "India", and was questioned about the impact the word had on the people of Tamil Nadu.

Translation of speech:

Velu later said the BJP had misquoted his statements, after the party raised objections against the speech in the Lok Sabha. He clarified that he was only talking about how some people in the state had perceived the word in the past, "I was explaining what the situation was earlier and what the situation is now. I mentioned that once upon we did not have impactful feelings towards “India” - but that was once upon a time," he said. Further adding that the current DMK Dravidian ideology has the responsibility to protect India and M. K. Stalin plays a crucial role in it.

Elections Contested and results