Shanmugam Kugathasan to replace R. Sampanthan in Parliament

Trincomalee district politician Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan is set to replace the late R. Sampanthan in Parliament.

Kugathasan, who contested under the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) ticket, received 16,770 preferential votes in the last Parliamentary election, making him the first in line among the list of non-elected candidates.

Kugathasan currently serves as the General Secretary of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK). He was also a former Coordinator for Eastern Province Development Affairs under the National Policies, Economic Affairs and Resettlement Ministry.

Kugathasan is also the Trincomalee District Welfare Association (TDWA) President. The TDWA is a non-profit organisation that aims to empower the people of Trincomalee and improve their socio-economic development. 

He is a graduate of the University of Colombo where he specialised in Planning and Administration. He went on to study Political Science at Kamaraj University in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Kugathasan is scheduled to take oath as the new Member of Parliament for the Trincomalee district next week.