In the wake of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) announcing that the party will contest separately at the upcoming Local Government (LG) poll, the other two constituent parties of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) –  the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) – had held preliminary discussions with the Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) and two other parties operating in the North and the East on the possibility of forming a coalition at the forthcoming poll. 

Speaking to The Morning, TMTK Leader MP C.V. Wigneswaran confirmed on Wednesday (11) the possibility of the above and noted that these parties are most likely to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by this weekend. 

“We have had a preliminary discussion and there is a possibility that the TELO, the PLOTE, the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), the Tamil National Party (TNP,) and our party will sign an MoU this weekend. We are working on it and it should be possible,” he added.

PLOTE Leader and MP Dharmalingam Siddarthan also confirmed to The Morning on Wednesday that there is a probability of a new coalition with the above-mentioned parties being formed. 

“We have not come out of the TNA but the ITAK had taken a decision at their Central Committee meeting held in Batticaloa recently to contest separately,” he added. 

Speaking to the media on Tuesday (10), TNA Spokesman and MP President’s Counsel (PC) M.A. Sumanthiran said that a decision was made regarding ITAK contesting separately and for the other two constituent parties of the TNA to contest separately. 

“No one is to contest under the TNA. Post-election, we expect to get together to form the administration. There is no doubt that we will win in our areas, as we have always won in those areas,” he added. 

On 8 January, addressing the media after the ITAK Central Committee meeting, Sumanthiran noted that the ITAK and the other two constituents are to contest separately, as this would enable the respective parties to secure more seats.