TMVP to contest in the North

21 February 2010 04:53 am

By Jamila Najmuddin


The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) announced today that it has decided to contest the upcoming General Elections in the Northern Province as well, and will go head to head with the EPDP led by Minister Douglas Devananda.

TMVP spokesman Azad Maulana, speaking to Daily Mirror online, said that party led by Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan will hand over its nomination papers on Tuesday to contest the polls in the Northern Province, the first time the party will focus on areas outside of its main stronghold in the East.

“We will field candidates for areas like Jaffna and the Wanni in the Northern Province where there are a lot of Tamil speaking people including the resettled internally displaced population,” Maulana told Daily Mirror online.

With its decision to contest in the North the TMVP will compete against another government ally, the EPDP, led by Minister Douglas Devananda which is also contesting the April 8 polls in the Northern Province.

When contacted by Daily Mirror online EPDP leader Dauglas Devananda said he was not aware of the TMVP contesting the polls in the North but added even if they do it will not result in a conflict between both parties.

The TMVP is contesting the General Elections under the ‘Boat’ symbol after deciding to go it alone at the polls instead of contesting under the UPFA banner with the government. The party had also announced last week that it will include some new faces to contest the elections.

The TMVP however had asserted that the decision to contest independently will not dent the relationship between the party and the government. The TMVP contested the Eastern Provincial council elections with the UPFA and also supported President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the recent Presidential elections.  (Daily Mirror online)