Pillayan | |
|---|---|
| சிவனேசதுரை சந்திரகாந்தன் සිවනේෂතුරෙයි චන්ද්රකාන්තන් | |
| Member of Parliament for Batticaloa District | |
| Assumed office 2020 | |
| 1st Chief Minister of Eastern Province | |
| In office 16 May 2008 – 18 September 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Vacant Direct rule from Colombo |
| Succeeded by | M. N. Abdul Majeed |
| Member of the Eastern Provincial Council for Batticaloa District | |
| In office 2008–2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan 18 August 1975 Kalkuda, Batticaloa District |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal |
| Website | pillayan.com |
Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Tamil: சிவனேசதுரை சந்திரகாந்தன்; commonly known as Pillayan; born 18 August 1975), served as Chief Minister of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. He is also the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), a political party in Sri Lanka. A former armed fighter of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organization, Chandrakanthan broke away from the Tamil Tigers along with Karuna Amman in April 2004, and became the deputy leader of the breakaway faction, renamed as the TMVP.
An internal rift in the TMVP led to Chandrakanthan replacing Karuna as the party leader in April 2007. Under his guidance, the TMVP contested in elections to elect members to Sri Lanka's Eastern Provincial Council, as part of a wider coalition which went on to win the elections. Chandrakanthan, who obtained the most preferential votes in the Batticaloa District, was sworn in as first ever Chief Minister of the province on 16 May 2008.[1]