Reporter's diary: Master of sardonic wit puts opponent in his place

CHENNAI: When it comes to firing witty remarks at his political opponents, Erode East MLA EVKS Elangovan would rank among the best, if not the best in contemporaryTamil Nadu politics. His sardonic wit would humble even the rank old timers in State politics.

Elangovan, who has a reputation for delivering pungent one-liners that could silence even the most articulate and intolerant few in his rival camp, offered a glimpse of his sharp-humour recently during a presser here. Engaging a query on the National Democratic Alliance, a sarcastic Elangovan blamed the BJP for roping in even faceless political parties to the ruling alliance merely to counter the 26-party INDIA alliance his Congress party is a part of.

The MLA seized the opportunity to fire salvos at his erstwhile colleague turned-BJP-ally GK Vasan of Tamil Manila Congress (TMC) and said, “Even members of his (Vasan’s) own family will not vote for Vasan. If Vasan votes as per his conscience, even he wouldn’t cast the vote in his own favour.”

The comment left TMC fuming, while the cadres of the grand old party, understandably, celebrated Elangovan’s jibe at the Congress foe. The Congress cadres were going gung-ho over at least one of their State leaders calling out Vasan for transforming into a ‘friend’ of Sarvakar-celebrating BJP, and that too after a life-long history of being a loyalist of the Gandhi-loving Congress.