EveMagill33 at 09:50, 22 March 2026

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{{Short description|Indian senior politician (born 1951)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{use Indian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Indian name|Vajjaravelu|Ethirajulu}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = E.V. Velu
| image =
| office = [[Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers|Cabinet Minister]] <br>[[Government of Tamil Nadu]]
| minister = Minister of [[Tamil Nadu Public Works Department|Public Works]]
| termstart = 7 May 2021
| termend =
| governor = [[Banwarilal Purohit]]
| 1blankname = Chief minister
| 1namedata = [[M. K. Stalin]]
| predecessor = [[Edappadi K. Palaniswami]]
| minister1 = Minister for Food and Civil Supplies
| termstart1 = 13 May 2006
| termend1 = 15 May 2011
| 1blankname1 = Chief minister
| 1namedata1 = [[M. Karunanidhi]]
| office2 = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member]] of the [[Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly]]
| termstart2 = 13 May 2011
| termend2 =
| predecessor2 = [[K. Pitchandi]]
| constituency2 = [[Tiruvannamalai Assembly constituency|Tiruvannamalai]]
| termstart3 = 13 May 2001
| termend3 = 13 May 2011
| constituency3 = [[Thandarambattu Assembly constituency|Thandarambattu]]
| predecessor3 = [[K. Manivarma]]
| successor3 = ''Constituency Abolished''
| termstart4 = 1984
| termend4 = 1989
| constituency4 = [[Thandarambattu Assembly constituency|Thandarambattu]]
| predecessor4 = [[D. Venugopal]]
| successor4 = D. Ponnumudi
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|3|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Koovanur, Kallakurichi|Koovanur]], [[Manalurpet]], [[Kallakurichi]], [[Madras State]], (now [[Tamil Nadu]]), India
| birth_name = Ethirajulu Vajjaravelu
| party = [[File:Flag DMK.svg|20px]] [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (from 1997)
| otherparty = [[File:AIADMK OfficialFlag Vector.svg|20px]] [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (1972–1997)
| footnotes =
| alma_mater = [[Annamalai University]] (MA, History)
| spouse = Sankari Velu (Known as Jeeva Velu)
| children = 1.Dr.E.V.V.Kamban (State Vice President of DMK Medical Wing) <br/>
2.Er.E.V.V.Kumaran
| parents = Ethirajulu (Father)<br/> Saraswati Ammal (Mother)
| relatives = Manogaran (Brother)
| occupation = Politician, Founder of Saraswathy Ammal Educational Trust
}}
'''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. 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 (State Assembly Constituency)|Thandarambattu constituency]], in [[1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election|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 Tamil Nadu state assembly election|2001]]<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Election Commission of India |page=6 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2001/Stat_Rep_TN_2001.pdf |title=Statistical Report on General Election 2001 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu |accessdate=17 May 2017}}</ref> and [[2006 Tamil Nadu state assembly election|2006]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Election Commission of India |page=6 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2006/StatReport_TN_2006.pdf |title=Statistical Report on General Election 2006 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu |accessdate=17 May 2017}}</ref> He was subsequently elected twice from [[Tiruvannamalai (State Assembly Constituency)|Tiruvannamalai constituency]] as a [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] candidate in [[2011 Tamil Nadu state assembly election|2011]]<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Election Commission of India |page=10 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/AE2011/stat_TN_May2011.pdf |title=Statistical Report on General Election 2011 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu |accessdate=17 May 2017}}</ref> and [[2016 Tamil Nadu state assembly election|2016]] and [[2021 Tamil Nadu state assembly election|2021]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Election Commission of India |page=2 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2016/01-List%20of%20sucessful%20Candidatestamil.pdf |title=List of successful candidates |accessdate=17 May 2017}}</ref>

== Background ==
Velu was born in [[Koovanur, Kallakurichi|Koovanur]] near [[Manalurpet]] in [[Kallakurichi district]] in a [[Telugu people|Telugu]] [[Gavara|Gavara Balija]] family on 15 March 1951.<ref>
*{{cite web |url=http://www.assembly.tn.gov.in/disp_ind.asp?prof_id=87 |title=E. V. Velu profile at TN government website |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823104040/http://www.assembly.tn.gov.in/disp_ind.asp?prof_id=87 |archivedate=23 August 2007}}
*{{cite web|editor1-last=இரா.தினேஷ்குமார்|title=மெக்கானிக் முதல் 'மாண்புமிகு' வரை... - எ.வ.வேலு 'வல்லமை' வரலாறு! |publisher= இந்து தமிழ் திசை|date= November 10, 2023 |quote=கள்ளக்குறிச்சி மாவட்டம் திருக்கோவிலூர் (முந்தைய விழுப்புரம் மாவட்டம்) அடுத்த மணலூர்பேட்டை அருகே கூவனூர் கிராமத்தில் விவசாயி எத்திராஜ் - சரஸ்வதி தம்பதிக்கு கடந்த 15-03-1951-ல் மகனாக பிறந்தவர் வஜ்ஜிரவேலு. |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/tamilnadu/1151528-mechanic-to-honourable-minister-inspiring-journey-of-e-v-velu.html }}
*{{Cite AV media |script-title=ta:தமிழ்நாடு கவரா நாயுடு நல சங்கத்தினர் செய்தியாளர் சந்திப்பு|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EDU0TeI5viA}}
*{{Cite web |url=https://www.dinamalar.com/dinam-dinam/tea-kadai-bench/news/2760405 |title=களைகட்டும் தேர்தல் பந்தயம்! |website=தினமலர் நாளிதழ் (மே 01, 2021)}}
</ref> 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 (State Assembly Constituency)|Thandarambattu]].<ref name="Youtube">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD7P9oMUELc Minister EV Velu | சினிமா ஆசை கண்டக்டர் Jayalalithaa -வை தவிக்க வைத்த கதை! | DMK | Mr Minister]. ''YouTube''.</ref><ref name="சமயம்">[https://tamil.samayam.com/latest-news/state-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-minister-ev-velu-from-bus-conductor-to-aiadmk-to-dmk/articleshow/104932527.cms?story=4 All you need to know about minister EV Velu: From bus conductor to AIADMK to DMK]. ''[[Samayam]]''.</ref><ref name="தினமணி">[https://www.dinamani.com/all-editions/edition-chennai/tiruvannamalai/2016/apr/14/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95-%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D...-1313361.html திமுக வேட்பாளர் சுயவிவரம்]. ''[[Dinamani]]''. 14 April 2016.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://dinamalar.com/detail.php?id=2760405 |title=களைகட்டும் தேர்தல் பந்தயம்! |website=Dinamalar|date=1 May 2021}}{{dead link|date=April 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

He was involved in film distribution along with politics and acted in a couple of films like ''[[Thilakam]]''.<ref name="Youtube"/>

== Controversies ==

=== "India" comment ===
After the DMK joined the [[Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance|I.N.D.I.A]] political alliance, Velu gave a speech regarding the word "[[India (word)|India]]", and was questioned about the impact the word had on the people of Tamil Nadu.

Translation of speech:<ref name="TOI">[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/tn-minister-velu-says-modi-misquoted-his-speech/articleshow/102655357.cms TN minister Velu says Modi misquoted his speech]. ''[[Times of India]]''.</ref><ref>[https://theprint.in/india/expunge-modi-iranis-remarks-on-tn-minister-velu-dmk-urges-lok-sabha-speaker/1711151/ Expunge Modi, Irani's remarks on TN minister Velu: DMK urges Lok Sabha speaker]. ''[[The Print (India)|The Print]]''.</ref>
{{blockquote|“What is the state today? The word India never had any impact on us. When has India had an impact on us? I’m making an open statement. There wasn’t any such impact on us. I'm talking about some time ago. Where did we have an impact? There was no impact. India is someplace in [[North India]]. We belong to Tamil Nadu. If possible, we have to create a [[Dravida Nadu]]. Our thought process was going in that direction.”}}

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 parties|Dravidian ideology]] has the responsibility to protect India and [[M. K. Stalin]] plays a crucial role in it.<ref name="TOI"/>

== Elections Contested and results ==
{|class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!width=150|Elections
!width=100|Constituency
!width=70|Party
!width=70|Result
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|1984||[[Thandarambattu (State Assembly Constituency)|Thandarambattu]] ||[[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|ADMK]]||Won
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|2001||[[Thandarambattu (State Assembly Constituency)|Thandarambattu]] || [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]||Won
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|2006||[[Thandarambattu (State Assembly Constituency)|Thandarambattu]] || [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]||Won
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|2011||[[Tiruvannamalai (state assembly constituency)|Tiruvannamalai]] ||[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]||Won
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|2016||[[Tiruvannamalai (state assembly constituency)|Tiruvannamalai]] ||[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]||Won
|-style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|[[2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election|2021]]||[[Tiruvannamalai (state assembly constituency)|Tiruvannamalai]] ||[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]||Won
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Government of Tamil Nadu}}
{{Council of Ministers of Tamil Nadu}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Velu, EV}}
[[Category:Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians]]
[[Category:State cabinet ministers of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 2001–2006]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 2006–2011]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 2011–2016]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 2016–2021]]
[[Category:All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 2021–2026]]
[[Category:Telugu politicians]]
[[Category:Annamalai University alumni]]
[[Category:Tamil people of Telugu descent]]

E. V. Velu - Revision history

EveMagill33 at 09:50, 22 March 2026