A bold and outspoken leader who took on pc

THE five-decade-long political career of EVKS Elangovan could be described in just two words - bold and outspoken.

- T MURUGANANDHAM & S KUMARESAN @Chennai

As a leader of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) and even as a functionary of the party, he had never minced words when expressing his views.

Known for his verbal outbursts against former chief ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa when they were in power, Elangovan was at the receiving end of the wrath of both parties in the past. During his tenure as TNCC president, he was often credited with reviving the party and keeping the Congress in the limelight.

Throughout his political career, he called a spade a spade without worrying about what would be the reactions to his remarks against his contemporary political leaders. Elangovan's no-care-for-criticism attitude was perhaps a quality he had inherited from his grandfather Periyar EV Ramasamy.