Veteran Congress leader EVKS Elangovan has sworn in as a Tamil Nadu MLA for the first time in thirty years. The ceremony has happened on Friday - March 10, a week after Elangovan has relished a historical triumph in the Erode East bypoll. The bypoll was held on February 27 and the results were declared on March 2. 

On Friday, 74-year-old Elangovan has taken oath as the Erode East MLA at the secretariat. The oath was administered by Tamil Nadu Speaker Appavu in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin, senior ministers, Congress MLAs, and the leaders of the allied parties. By swearing-in, Elangovan has succeeded his younger son Thirumahan Everaa, the Erode East Congress MLA, who died on January 4 at the age of 46 due to cardiac arrest. 

Everaa's untimely demise has necessitated the bypoll in Erode East and the Congress has fielded Elangovan as its candidate. Though there were over 70 candidates in the bypoll, the direct clash was between Elangovan and ADMK's Thennarasu. After a hard-fought campaign, the poll was held on February 27 and the constituency recorded a voter turnout close to 75 per cent. 

On March 2, the votes were counted and Elangovan took a huge lead from the beginning. At the end, Elangovan has crossed 1 lakh-vote mark for the first time in Erode East, the constituency that was formed in 2008. With a huge amass of votes, Elangovan won the race with the margin of over 66,000 votes. After the historical victory, it was announced that Elangovan would sworn in as the Erode East MLA on March 10. 

With Elangovan's victory, the Congress party has retained its strength of 18 MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Interestingly, it will be the first time that Elangovan enter the assembly in three decades. Elangovan formerly contested in the 1984 assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and won from the Sathyamangalam constituency. After 34 years since his first stint as an MLA, he is now taking up the role for the second time. Elangovan had also served as a former Union Minister and a former chief of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.