Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader and Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam is reported to be seriously ill. Sources close to him revealed that he is battling with a cancer and that his condition has been worsened recently. Due to his health condition , he has been unable to attend recent parliamentary sessions and has requested a three-month leave from the Parliament, which was approved considering his condition.
Party sources have disclosed that Ponnambalam has stepped down from party leadership and administrative duties because of the condition. Additionally, it was revealed that he has traveled abroad for cancer treatments.
Earlier this year, Ponnambalam, has urged Tamil community to consider boycotting the upcoming Sri Lankan presidential election as a strong display of public distrust in the electoral system.
Ponnambalam comes from a prominent political family; both his father Kumar and grandfather G.G Ponnambalam were leaders of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress and represented the minority Tamil community. Gajendra completed his primary education at Colombo Royal College and Colombo International School, followed by an LLB degree from the University of London. He qualified as a barrister-at-law from Lincoln’s Inn and was called to the bar of England and Wales in 1997. Upon returning to Sri Lanka, he qualified as an attorney-at-law and was called to the Sri Lankan bar in 1999.
He entered politics at the turn of the millennium, following the assassination of his father. After several attempts, he secured a seat in Parliament in the 2020 election as a TNPF candidate for the Jaffna District. Alongside his political career, he has established a presence in the business world with extensive shareholdings in several companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, either directly or through family-owned companies Gee Gees Properties (Pvt) Ltd and Gitanjali Gajaluckshmi (Pvt) Ltd. His business interests include Serendib Land PLC (property development), LOLC Holdings PLC/Lanka ORIX Leasing Company (leasing, factoring, and microfinance), and Bukit Darah PLC (palm oil).
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