EVKS Elangovan had been hospitalised due to a lung-related issue, Tamil Nadu Congress said in a statement.

The legislator from Erode East constituency has not been keeping well for over a month. He was admitted to a hospital here on November 11. The party said EVKS Elangovan was undergoing intensive treatment for more than two weeks.

“He passed away today despite the best efforts of the medical staff,” the hospital said.

A former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President, Elangovan was a seasoned politician and an influential figure in state and national politics.

Elangovan previously represented the Gobichettipalayam Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu and served as the Union Minister of Textiles from 2004 to 2009 in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government.

However, in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he lost to A. Ganeshamoorthy in the Erode constituency.

In 2019, he contested from the Theni Lok Sabha constituency but was defeated by O.P. Ravindranath Kumar.

Apart from his national roles, Elangovan also served as an MLA for the Sathyamangalam constituency in 1984.

More recently, he won the Erode East Assembly seat in the 2023 bye-elections following the untimely demise of his son, Thirumagan Evera, who had won the seat in 2021.

Born on December 21, 1948, in Erode district, Elangovan was the son of E.V.K. Sampath and the grandson of Krishnasamy, the brother of social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.

His political career was deeply rooted in Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian and Congress traditions.

The veteran leader leaves behind a legacy of dedicated political service and significant contributions to Tamil Nadu and Indian politics.

Following the news of his passing, Congress officials have been visiting the hospital where he was receiving treatment.

Police personnel have been deployed around the hospital to maintain public order.