ITAK reduced to eight seats

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) has achieved the unthinkable by winning the Jaffna electoral district at the just concluded general election.The Illakai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) that won the Jaffna district during the war, and after the conclusion of the conflict, suffered a shock defeat. Of the six Jaffna district seats, the NPP secured three, whereas the ITAK, All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) and Ind. Group 17, shared one seat each.

Former members of the ITAK-led Tamil national Alliance (TNA) who contested on the Democratic Tamil National alliance (DTNA) ticket, failed to secure a place. Political sources said that the ITAK’s performance at the general election, in the northern and eastern provinces, had been its worst, since 2004, when it obtained 22 seats.

The ITAK altogether won 10 seats at the 2020 general election. The NPP also secured the Vanni electoral district where the war against terrorism was brought to an end in 2009. The ruling party won two seats while the SJB, ITAK, DTNA and SLLP (Sri Lanka Labour party) secured one seat each.

The NPP obtained two seats in the Trincomalee district leaving the SJB and ITAK to share the remaining two seats – one each. However, ITAK won the Batticaloa electoral district by securing three seats, while the NPP and the SLMC got one each.

Seven seats in the Digamadulla district were shared by NPP (4), SLMC (1), ACMC (1) and ITAK (1).

Former LTTE combatants Karuna Amman and Sivanesathurai Chandrakantha alias Pilleyan failed in their bid to re-enter Parliament.

Except for two politicians, the NPP fielded all newcomers in the five predominately Tamil speaking electoral districts in the former war zones. The five districts are represented by 29 MPs.

Political sources said that contrary to previous reports the NPP wouldn’t need the support of the northern political party to proceed with its strategy. Instead, some of those elected from the North may end up being accommodated in the Cabinet/Deputy Ministers, sources said.

In the run-up to parliamentary election, ITAK front liner M.A. Sumanthiran declared that the party should accept Cabinet portfolios in case the NPP offered an opportunity for them to join the government.