TN 2026  ›  All MLAs  ›  Velu . E. V.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · MLA Tiruvannamalai · AC 63

Velu . E. V.

E. V. Velu retained Tiruvannamalai (AC 63) in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election as the DMK candidate, polling 88,273 votes and winning by a margin of 2,455 over TVK's Arul Arumugam in a tight three-way race. This is his sixth Assembly term across a 42-year career — twice from Thandarambattu (1984, 2001-06) and four times from Tiruvannamalai (2011, 2016, 2021, 2026). He served as Tamil Nadu's Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports through the 2021-26 term and was earlier the state's Minister for Food and Civil Supplies (2006-11) under M. Karunanidhi.

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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Velu . E. V.

DMKMLA · Tiruvannamalai
Born
15 March 1951 in Koovanur, near Manalurpet, Kallakurichi district (75 yrs)
Constituency
Tiruvannamalai · AC 63
District
Tiruvannamalai
Party
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Profession
Politician (1972– ); came from a farming family of Telugu Gavara Naidu heritage; one-time pump repairman and bus conductor with Dhamodharan Bus Services in Tiruvannamalai; founder of the Saraswathy Ammal Educational Trust
2026 result
won by 2,455 votes
Education
M.A History Annamalai University Chidambaram Tamil Nadu year March 2004

At a glance

2026 votes
88,273
in the assembly election
Margin
2,455
votes ahead of runner-up
Constituency
Tiruvannamalai
AC 63 · Tiruvannamalai
Party
DMK
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Field size
31
candidates contested
Age
76 yrs
as of 2026
Declared assets
₹20.77 cr
ECI affidavit, 2026
Criminal cases
0 pending
declared in affidavit

Education

Highest qualificationPost Graduate

ECI affidavit (2026)

0 pending criminal cases declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹20.77 cr.

ItemValue
Total declared assets₹20.77 cr
Source: Election Commission of India affidavit, March 2026 — collated by myneta.info (view live page).

Career timeline

The 2026 win — Tiruvannamalai

Velu . E. V. polled 88,273 votes, defeating Arul Arumugam (TVK) by a margin of 2,455.

#CandidatePartyVotes
1Velu . E. V.DMK88,273
2Arul ArumugamTVK85,818
3Elumalai . CBJP34,280
4Vignesh . SNTK6,011
5NotaNOTA785

→ Full Tiruvannamalai (AC 63) seat page · district: Tiruvannamalai

Family

Wife Sankari Velu (known as Jeeva Velu). Two sons — Dr. E.V.V. Kamban, State Vice President of the DMK Medical Wing, and Er. E.V.V. Kumaran. Brother Manogaran is also active in the party. Parents Ethirajulu and Saraswati Ammal were farmers of Telugu Gavara Naidu heritage settled in the Kallakurichi-Tiruvannamalai belt.

Party & ideology

Velu's politics has long blended Dravidian welfare-state continuity with rural-to-urban infrastructure delivery in the northern Tamil Nadu belt. His PWD-Highways tenure in 2021-26 ran the Singara Chennai 2.0 highway corridors, the network of state and major district roads, and the minor ports programme along the Bay of Bengal. Inside the DMK he is among the senior generation that bridged the Karunanidhi era and the Stalin era, and represents the bloc of MGR-trained AIADMK leaders who joined the DMK during the 1990s realignments.

Official channels

X (Twitter)

FAQ

How many times has E. V. Velu won?

Six — Thandarambattu in 1984 (AIADMK), 2001 and 2006 (DMK), then Tiruvannamalai in 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026 (DMK). He has held two ministerial portfolios across two cabinets — Food and Civil Supplies (2006-11) under M. Karunanidhi and Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports (2021-26) under M. K. Stalin.

What portfolio did he hold under M. K. Stalin?

Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports for the full 2021-26 term. He oversaw state highways, public works construction, the network of state and major district roads, and the minor ports along the Tamil Nadu coast.

What was the November 2023 Income Tax search about?

On 3 November 2023 the Income Tax Department began searches at around 40 premises linked to Velu — across Tiruvannamalai, Chennai, Coimbatore and Karur — including the Arunai group of educational institutions run by the family. The searches lasted five days. Velu held a press conference saying no cash was seized and that the search was meant to intimidate the DMK.

Did he start in the AIADMK?

Yes — Velu joined the AIADMK at its inception in 1972 under MGR and won his first Assembly term from Thandarambattu in 1984. He moved to the DMK in 1997 and has contested every subsequent election on the DMK ticket.

Sources