The SLFP has rejected the application by former LTTE spokesman, Velayutham Dayanidhi alias ‘Daya Master’ to contest the upcoming election in the Northern Province under the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

I have not been officially notified by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party still but it is confirmed that my name is not among the persons they have given nomination to, Dayanidhi told Ada Derana today.

The former head of the LTTE media division, who surrendered to the Sri Lankan Army during final stages of war, said he was unaware of the reason for the decision, however pointed out that the party has a right to reject his application just as he has every right to apply for a nomination.

Dayanidhi alias ‘Daya Master’ had applied for membership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) last month in order to contest the highly anticipated polls in the war-torn North.

He was interviewed on June 22 by the SLFP nominations committee for the 2014 Provincial Council election, chaired by Minister Susil Premajayantha, at the SLFP Headquarters at Darley Road, Maradana. 

Daya Master stated that he along with around 50 other prospective candidates from North- 23 representing the Jaffna District- arrived at the SLFP headquarters and were interviewed by Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and C.B. Ratnayake.

Daya Master surrendered to government forces with a colleague in April 2009, weeks before the separatist Tamil Tigers were defeated.

Once a senior member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Daya Master is now said to be working as the local head of operations for a privately-owned Tamil television channel.

In addition to Daya Master, the SLFP has also reportedly rejected the nominations of M.M. Shiraz, a prominent businessman in the Northern Province.

A group of his supporters had held a protest against the decision in front of the District Secretariat in Jaffna this morning.