Mavai Senathirajah passes away in Jaffna

Former Parliamentarian and senior leader of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) Mavai Senathirajah has passed away at 82.

He had reportedly passed away at the Jaffna Hospital, where he had been admitted over the past couple of days.

The veteran Tamil politician was admitted to the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital due to an accident that occurred at his home.

A former Member of Parliament, Senathirajah was the leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) from 2014 to 2024, the main constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

He joined the youth wing of Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the Tamil Youth League, in 1962 and became secretary of the Tamil Youth Front, the youth wing the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), in 1972.

He entered Parliament in 1989 when he was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament for the TULF, and re-entered Parliament in 1999 as a National List Member of Parliament for the TULF.

Senathirajah was one of the TULF’s candidates in Jaffna District at the 2000 parliamentary election.

He was elected and re-entered Parliament. On 20 October 2001 the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization and TULF formed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Senathirajah contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the TNA’s candidates in Jaffna District.

He was elected and re-entered Parliament while he was also re-elected at the 2004, 2010 and 2015 parliamentary elections.

Senathirajah was general-secretary of ITAK before being elected leader of ITAK in September 2014.