As the tenure of the current Northern Provincial Council came to an end this week, two prominent members, including the Chief Minister inaugurated new political parties, breaking away from the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK)/Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran inaugurated his new party Tamil Makkal Koottani (TMK/Tamil People’s Alliance) in Nallur on Wednesday.
The only woman member of the council and later minister, Ananthy Sasitharan, also inaugurated her own new party on the weekend - the Eela Thamizhar Suyatchi Kazhakam (Eelam Tamil Autonomy League). Sasitharan was elected with the second highest number of preferential votes in the 2013 election, with only the Chief Minister winning more.