ITAK appoints youngest MP P’ment Group leader

Wednesday, 4 February 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Shanakiyan Rasamanickam

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) has appointed Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam as its new Parliamentary Group leader, replacing Jaffna District MP Sivagnanam Shritharan following an internal dispute over party positions and accountability.

The decision was taken after Shritharan declined to step down from his position on the Constitutional Council, despite objections raised within the party. ITAK leaders have stated that his stance, including support for senior military officers, was inconsistent with long-standing party policy and the views of its voter base.

ITAK said it had determined that Shritharan could no longer continue as Parliamentary Group leader and that disciplinary action has been initiated after he refused to relinquish the post voluntarily. Shritharan has not issued a public response to the decision.

Rasamanickam, a second-term MP from Batticaloa, was nominated to the position amid what party sources described as a need for renewed leadership within the Parliamentary Group. At the most recent Parliamentary election, he secured the highest preferential vote recorded in Batticaloa District, where ITAK retained three seats despite a broader national shift towards the National People’s Power coalition.

He has been a vocal critic of militarisation and has consistently advocated governance reforms and democratic accountability in Parliament.

The leadership change reflects broader internal realignments within ITAK, which has faced divisions in recent years. The party’s Parliamentary Group was previously led by veteran Tamil leader R. Sampanthan, whose tenure marked an earlier phase of Tamil Parliamentary representation.