She is the granddaughter of the man hailed as "Ezha Thanthai Selva" and "Sri lankan Gandhi" the Honorable S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, QC MP, Leader of The Federal Party/ TULF (1949–1977, a revered Sri Lankan politician and iconic leader of the Tamil community.
The government deliberately delayed holding the by-election in Kankesanthurai until 6 February 1975.
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Chelvanayakam health was increasingly poor; he had suffered from Parkinson's disease and growing deafness since the 1950s.
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, prominent post-independence politician in the Sri Lanka Parliament