பொன்னம்பலம்; 18 December 1930 – 5 March 1994; commonly known as VP) was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and teacher.

[5] Ponnambalam contested the Kankesanthurai Electoral District seat on a Communist Party ticket in the 1956 parliamentary election.

[7] He stood as the Communist Party candidate in the Uduvil Electoral District in the March 1960 parliamentary election.

[9] Ponnambalam again contested the Kankesanthurai seat in the 1970 parliamentary election, challenging the Tamil political leader S. J. V. Chelvanayakam once again.

[10] Ponnambalam enjoyed strong support from depressed classes and radical youth in the area.

[11] In his campaign he accused the Federal Party of resisting progressive measures, such as school, bus service and petroleum distribution nationalisation as well as the enactment of the Paddy Lands Act.

According to Ponnabalam's account Bandaranaike was initially sympathetic to the proposal but was swayed by de Silva to reject it.

The attack happened at the same time as Ponnambalam was acting as interpreter for the Prime Minister at a public meeting in Chunnakam.

[3] The election campaign was marred with tension, and the government assigned a bodyguard for Ponnambalam for his protection.

[3][15] In reaction to Ponnambalam's departure from the party, it was stated that "with him went the last bastion of the Left movement in the North.

[15][16] With the Red Tamil Movement Ponnambalam sought to align with TULF and its leader A. Amirthalingam and move it towards socialist positions.

Ponnambalam withdrew from political life and in 1978 shifted his residence to Lusaka, Zambia where he taught at the Co-operative College.