"A bold leader who criticized his own party": BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan pays tribute to EVKS Elangovan

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 14 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday paid tribute to former Tamil Nadu Congress President EVKS Elangovan, who passed away earlier in the day, describing him as a bold leader.
"EVKS Elangovan is a leader who has been known to me since my childhood. He always used to ask why I didn't join the Congress, even though my father was a Congressman," Soundararajan told ANI, while paying her respects to the late leader.
She praised his fearless nature, saying, "He did not hesitate to criticise his own party. Such a bold person. It is very unfortunate that we have lost him. I pay homage to him."
Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and state Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin visited Elangovan's residence in Chennai to pay their last respects.
Elangovan, aged 75, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai after being hospitalized for a lung-related issue. He had been undergoing intensive treatment for over two weeks, according to the Tamil Nadu Congress.
The veteran leader is survived by his wife and a son. At the time of his demise, he represented the Erode (East) constituency, previously held by his late son, E Thirumahan Everaa.
Elangovan was a prominent figure in Tamil Nadu politics and the son of EVK Sampath, a founding member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Sampath later parted ways with the DMK in 1961 and joined the Congress.
Elangovan served as the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president twice, first from 2000 to 2002 and later from 2014 to 2016. (ANI)