Tamil Politicians Succumb to NPP in Historic 2024 General Election

By  sulochana ramiah mohan

 November 16, 2024 2:02am

In an unprecedented victory, racking up a two-thirds majority in the 2024 General Election, the National People’s Power (NPP), led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, clinched three pivotal parliamentary seats in the Northern Province, marking a historic breakthrough for a Southern political party in a region long dominated by the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and its alliances.

This stunning outcome unseated ITAK, the region’s oldest Tamil political party, delivering a decisive blow with 80,830 votes – a record for a non-regional party among Tamil voters. In contrast, ITAK secured only 63,237 votes, capturing just one seat. The All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) also made its mark, winning 27,986 votes and securing one seat.

The NPP candidates who secured preferential votes in the Northern Province are led by Karunanthan Ilankumaran, who garnered 32,102 votes, followed by Shanmuganathan Sri Bawanandarajah with 20,430 votes. Other notable candidates include Jayachandramoorthy Rajeevan (17,579 votes), Udayakumaran Keerthi (17,180 votes), and Karalasingham Prakash (14,767 votes).

In addition, Thevarasa Thajeevan received 10,027 votes, while both Vennila Irasalingam and Poologarajah Sritharan each secured 8,504 votes. These results reflect the NPP’s growing influence and support base in the Northern Province, indicating a highly competitive race for preferential votes among the party’s candidates.

An independent group numbered 17 secured 27,855 votes, winning one seat. The Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), represented by the ‘Conch’ symbol and financially backed by UK-based business tycoon Allirajah, included prominent figures such as Sasikala Raviraj, Selvam Adaikalanathan, and Dharmalingam Siddarthan, leader of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) in Jaffna and all of them lost to NPP. The DTNA lost by a margin of 16 votes, resulting in the loss of a seat.

Vanni District

In the 2024 General Elections for the Vanni District, the preferential votes were as follows: NPP candidate Selvathambi Thilakanathan received 10,652 votes, and Arumugam Jegadishwaran secured 9,280 votes. From ITAK, Thurairasa Ravikumar garnered 11,215 votes. SJB’s Rishad Bathiudeen led with 21,018 votes, while DTNA’s A. Adaikkalanathan received 5,695 votes.

In the race for Jaffna’s six parliamentary seats, nearly 400 candidates had competed, while in the Vanni, 423 candidates vied for their six seats.

The ITAK and other parties in the north and east even rejected the Tamil common presidential candidate, one of whom was the outspoken lawyer M.A. Sumanthiran, PC. However, the most significant blow to Sumanthiran and his party came with his loss in the 2024 General Elections for the Jaffna District, where he failed to secure a seat in Parliament. Known as a strong advocate for Tamil rights, Sumanthiran’s defeat is widely attributed to his outspoken criticism of Tamil politicians in the Northern Province and his efforts to undermine rival parties. Additionally, he openly opposed Shritharan, who has now successfully entered Parliament.

However, he held a media briefing on Friday (15), where he welcomed the victory of the National People’s Power (NPP). “It’s a historic win,” he said at the Jaffna Press Club. “This representation of a two-thirds majority by one single party was a real challenge. We haven’t seen such a landslide victory since JRJ won, though not as remarkable as his 2010 win after the war, where he formed an alliance to secure power. This time, the NPP achieved 159 seats on its own, which is quite surprising. Personally, I wish them all the best.”

When the ITAK and DTNA were in alliance as the Tamil National Alliance, they successfully held many seats together. However, the split between them this time served as a bitter lesson. Tamils expressed on social media that Tamil nationalism had not died, but rather, it was the fake political rhetoric of certain Tamil politicians who attempted to undermine it that had been defeated.

Finishing in third place in the 2024 General Election, ITAK secured 257,813 votes, which accounts for 2.31 per cent of the total vote. The party won seven seats in the district and one National List seat, bringing their total to eight members in Parliament.

Another strongman, Douglas Devananda, an ardent supporter of Mahinda Rajapaksa and leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), was defeated after securing only 17,730 votes. Devananda, who had previously served as the Fisheries Minister and held a prominent position in Parliament, lost his seat. Additionally, Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, leader of the Tamil Makkal Kootani, was ousted, securing only 13,295 votes.

Sivagnanam Shritharan

From the ITAK, Sivagnanam Shritharan is set to enter Parliament, securing a personal total of 32,833 votes. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), is also poised to enter Parliament, having garnered 15,135 votes. In addition, the controversial medical doctor, known for exposing widespread corruption in the health sector in the Northern Province, secured his place in Parliament under an independent group. He received 20,487 votes.

Additionally, hundreds of Tamil candidates had contested across the Eastern Province’s three districts: Batticaloa, Ampara, and Trincomalee where in Batticaloa, the NPP lost letting the ITAK win. The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has released the final results for the Batticaloa District in the 2024 General Election, showing the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) as the leading party with over 33 per cent of the district’s total votes. ITAK secured 96,975 votes, placing it firmly ahead of its competitors and winning the district. The National People’s Power (NPP) followed in second place with 55,498 votes (19.33 per cent), reflecting significant support but not enough to challenge ITAK’s lead.

Based on these results, ITAK has been awarded three parliamentary seats in the district, while NPP and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), with 40,139 votes, have each secured one seat. Other parties, including the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), which received 31,286 votes, and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), with 22,570 votes, did not earn a seat in this election.

ITAK, once the unyielding voice of Tamil rights under the leadership of R. Sampanthan, has faced long-standing challenges. In recent years, as Sampanthan’s leadership waned, internal fractures emerged, with parties and splinter groups engaging in intense rivalries and disputes. These divisions diluted the Tamil political base, leaving voters increasingly disillusioned and uncertain about their political representation.

Over time, frustration among Tamil citizens intensified as political promises went unfulfilled. Essential projects aimed at supporting the masses remained incomplete, leaving many families struggling to maintain stability amidst rising living costs and the instability of successive governments.

Successive governments also fell short of their commitments to the Northern Province, with empty promises and limited empathy from officials, sometimes even fostering resentment. Meanwhile, influential figures like businessman Allirajah Subaskaran, a British-Sri Lankan entrepreneur, best known as the founder and Chairman of Lyca Group attempted to unify splintered Tamil factions by financially supporting various parties. Yet, these alliances failed to address voter frustrations, ultimately paving the way for the NPP’s fresh appeal and resulting in their significant victory.

NPP’s success largely  resonated with youth

The NPP’s success largely resonated with youth who felt abandoned by the traditional parties, much as Tamils had rebelled against State oppression in past decades. The youth saw in the NPP a movement for change, rejecting entrenched political rhetoric in favour of a party they perceived as authentic and hopeful.

Enthusiasm surged for the NPP’s emblem, the ‘Compass,’ which symbolised a new direction rooted in “neutral values.” President Dissanayake’s promises to restore lands taken by the State, including the controversial areas around Palaly International Airport, offered renewed hope to residents. His cautious commitment to uphold the 13^th Amendment further fuelled aspirations.

With the old faces of Parliament sent home by the people of Sri Lanka, the mandate now firmly rests in the hands of the NPP. An absolute victory by the NPP brings with it absolute responsibility, and as the saying goes, the people of Sri Lanka and the Tamil ethnic minority of the North would expect nothing less. (Ceylon Today)