Sasitharan to contest election independently?

Sources in the North state that Northern Provincial Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan is reported to have filed her nomination papers for the Jaffna electoral district on Thursday and is to contest the general election as an independent candidate following the refusal by the Tamil National Alliance to nominate her.

Ms Sasitharan won the second highest preferential votes after Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran at the NPC elections.

In an interview with a Tamil Private TV channel, Ms Sasitharan said she attempted to obtain nomination through the ITAK a constituent party of the TNA, but was rejected by the TNA leadership even though  the EPRLF, offered to give her the nomination.

However ITAK leader Maavai Senathirajah rejected this accusation denied he had ever received a request from Ms Sasitharan to contest on a TNA ticket and that it was he and Sumanthiran who gave her the opportunity to compete in the provincial elections.

He said that Ms Sasitharan is acting against his party’s parliamentarians and decision of the party and on an earlier occasion she had transported an effigy of former MP Sumintharan in her vehicle and burnt.

Ms Sasitharan’s husband, Elilan Sasitharan, is a senior LTTE commander who was taken into military custody in May 2009 and subsequently disappeared.