Marking a generational shift in Tamil politics, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi has appointed 35-year-old Batticaloa MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam as its new parliamentary group leader, replacing veteran Jaffna legislator Sivagnanam Shritharan following internal disagreements over party principles and accountability.
The decision follows Shritharan’s refusal to step down from the Constitutional Council despite opposition within ITAK over his backing of senior military officers, a position party leaders said conflicted with long-standing party positions and the sentiments of Tamil voters.
ITAK said it determined that Shritharan was no longer eligible to continue leading the party in Parliament and has initiated disciplinary action after he declined to resign from the post.
Rasamanickam, a 2nd-term lawmaker from the eastern district of Batticaloa, secured the highest preferential vote recorded in the district’s history at the last parliamentary election. ITAK retained three seats in Batticaloa, a district that resisted the broader national swing toward the National People’s Power coalition.
Known for taking firm public positions against militarisation, Rasamanickam has also been a vocal advocate for governance reforms and democratic accountability within and outside Parliament.
The leadership change signals a broader shift within ITAK, which has faced internal divisions in recent years. The party’s parliamentary group was previously led by veteran Tamil leader R. Sampanthan, whose leadership defined an earlier phase of Tamil parliamentary politics.
Shritharan has not publicly responded to the decision. (Newswire)