Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan | |
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1st Chief Minister of Eastern Province | |
In office 16 May 2008 – 18 September 2012 |
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Preceded by | Vacant Direct rule from Colombo |
Succeeded by | M. N. Abdul Majeed |
Personal details | |
Born |
Kalkuda, Batticaloa District |
August 18, 1975
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Political party | Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal |
Religion | Hindu |
Website | chandrakanthan.com |
Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Tamil: சிவனேசதுரை சந்திரகாந்தன்; commonly known as Pillayan; born August 18, 1975), served as Chief Minister of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. He is also the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), a political party in Sri Lanka. A former armed fighter of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organization, Chandrakanthan broke away from the Tamil Tigers along with Karuna Amman in April 2004, and became the deputy leader of the breakaway faction, renamed as the TMVP.
An internal rift in the TMVP led to Chandrakanthan replacing Karuna as the party leader in April 2007. Under his guidance, the TMVP contested in elections to elect members to Sri Lanka's Eastern Provincial Council, as part of a wider coalition which went on to win the elections. Chandrakanthan, who obtained the most number of preferential votes in the Batticaloa District, was sworn in as first ever Chief Minister of the province on May 16, 2008.
Born on August 18, 1975 in the village of Pethalai, near Kalkuda in the Batticaloa District, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan was the second of seven children of Arumugam Sivaneshathurai and Sinnavan Kamala. He received his primary education at Vipulanantha Vidyalaya, Pethalai, after which he attended Hindu College, Valachchenai from Grade 6 until his G.C.E. Ordinary Level examinations (Grade 11). While at school, he was noted as a good cricketer, swimmer and volleyball player.