Sri Lanka’s Parliament witnessed a series of congratulatory messages on May 5, as Tamil representatives responded to the electoral victory of actor turned politician Joseph Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in Tamil Nadu.
Leading Tamil parliamentarians described the outcome as a significant political moment, with several drawing links between the result and the aspirations of Eelam Tamils.
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Jaffna District MP Sivagnanam Shritharan hailed the result as a major political shift.
He described it as a “historic victory” that would mark a great turning point in Tamil Nadu’s political history.
“The Eelam relations will be there and support the continued victory of TVK. Eelam people see this victory in a favourable position, perceiving it as their own victory,” he said.
MP Shritharan also shared his appreciation in his official Facebook account
Senior ITAK figure and President’s Counsel M. A. Sumanthiran also extended his congratulations, issuing a message on social media.
He conveyed his “heartfelt wishes” to the TVK and its leader Joseph Vijay on their electoral victory and expressed what he described as the "rightful" expectation that the people and government of Tamil Nadu would continue to extend their support to Eelam Tamils.
Echoing similar sentiments in Parliament, ITAK Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam also congratulated Vijay, describing the result as a historic moment while speaking as a representative of the Tamil nation.
ITAK Batticaloa MP Rasamanikam Shanakiyan
Independent Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan also addressed the outcome, framing his response in the context of the lived experience of Tamils on the island.
Congratulating Vijay, he stated that, “as an oppressed Sri Lankan Tamil,” he extended his appreciation in Vijay's victory.
The reaction across Tamil political representatives underscores the continuing political and emotional connection between Tamils in the North-East and Tamil Nadu, where electoral outcomes are often seen as having broader implications for the Tamil nation.