S. Shritharan

Sivagnanam Shritharan (; born 8 December 1968) is a Sri Lankan Tamil teacher, politician and Member of Parliament. He is the current leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, the largest Tamil nationalist party in the Sri Lankan Parliament.

Early life and family Shritharan was born on 8 December 1968. He was educated at Jaffna Hindu College. After school, he joined the University of Jaffna.

Shritharan is married to the sister of Brigadier Theepan (Velayuthapillai Baheerathakumarn) who was a senior military commander in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Career Shritharan taught at several schools in Kilinochchi District and was the principal of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalayam.

Shritharan contested the 2010 parliamentary election as one of the Tamil National Alliance electoral alliance's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the Parliament. He was re-elected at the 2015 and 2020 parliamentary elections.

Following the announcement of the retirement of ITAK party leader Mavai Senathirajah, Shritharan applied for the leadership position in December 2023. He was the favored candidate since he was based in Jaffna and was elected leader of the ITAK on 21 January 2024 defeating M. A. Sumanthiran and S. Yogeswaran; having gained 184 votes to Sumanthiran's 134. Following the appointment, he paid respects at the Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam (cemetery for fallen Tamil Tigers).

Assassination attempt On 7 March 2011, Shritharan was traveling in a van from Kilinochchi to Colombo to attend a meeting of Parliament the following day. The men also threw hand grenades at the van. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa ordered an investigation into the assassination attempt.

Electoral history + Electoral history of S. ShritharanElectionConstituencyPartyAllianceVotesResult 2010 parliamentary Jaffna District Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi Tamil National Alliance Elected 2020 parliamentary Jaffna District Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi Tamil National Alliance Elected 2024 parliamentary Jaffna District Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi - Elected