A tussle is brewing within the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) after Jaffna district parliamentarian S. Sritharan hit out at his fellow TNA parliamentarians M. A. Sumanthiran and R. Sanakkiyan accusing them of attempting to sideline the senior TNA parliamentarian and Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) leader Mavai. S. Senathiraja. Sritharan accused his fellow parliamentarians Sumanthiran and Sanakkiyan of undermining Senathiraja who is the senior most member in the TNA after veteran parliamentarian R. Sampanthan.
According to Sritharan, several meetings were held in the Eastern Province recently where Senathiraja was not invited.
“Certain moves were also made in the TNA without the consent of the hierarchy of the alliance.
There is a large number of young loyalists in the TNA but they have not been given due recognition”, Sritharan said.
A conflict of interest has prevailed within the TNA for the past several years with the leader of Eelam People Revolutionary Liberation Front(EPRLF) led by former parliamentarian Suresh K. Premachandran leaving the alliance a few years ago.
Former Chief Minister of the Northern Province and parliamentarian C. V. Wigneswaran also quit the TNA and formed his own political party, the Tamil Makkal Kootani (TMK).
Police in Jaffna are continuing the probe into the attack on the residence belonging to MP Sritharan.
A group of unidentified goons, armed with sharp weapons had arrived at the residence on motorcycles.