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Hon.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
MP
අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක
அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க
Anura Kumara Dissanayake in 2023
Leader of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
Assumed office
2 February 2014
Preceded bySomawansa Amarasinghe
Chief Opposition Whip
In office
3 September 2015 – 18 December 2018
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byW. D. J. Senewiratne
Succeeded byMahinda Amaraweera
Leader of the National People's Power
Assumed office
2019
Preceded byPosition established
Member of Parliament
for Colombo District
Assumed office
1 September 2015
Member of Parliament
for Kurunegala District
In office
1 April 2004 – 8 April 2010
Member of Parliament
for National List
In office
22 April 2010 – 17 August 2015
In office
18 October 2000 – 7 February 2004
Personal details
Born
Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayaka

(1968-11-24) 24 November 1968 (age 55)
Dominion of Ceylon
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partyJanatha Vimukthi Peramuna
Other political
affiliations		National People's Power
Alma materUniversity of Kelaniya
Websitewww.npp.lk/en/about

Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Sinhala: අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක, Tamil: அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க; born 24 November 1968), also known by his initials AKD, is a Sri Lankan politician who is currently serving as the leader of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.[1] He served for a time as Cabinet Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation.

Dissanayake was named the leader of JVP at the 7th National Convention of the party, held on 2 February 2014. He has been a member of parliament since September 2000.

Political career

In 2004, Dissanayake served as the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation during the joint SLFP–JVP government under President Chandrika Kumaratunga.[2] The JVP would continue to ally with the SLFP, contesting as a part of the United People's Freedom Alliance in the 2004 parliamentary elections and win 39 seats in the parliament, but would later leave the UPFA government on 16 June 2005.[3][4]

On 2 February 2014, during the 17th National Convention of the JVP, Dissanayake was named as the new leader of the JVP, succeeding Somawansa Amarasinghe.

On 18 August 2019, the National People's Power, a political organization led by the JVP, announced that Dissanayake would be its presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential elections. Dissanayake became the 3rd most successful candidate in the election, receiving 418,553 votes.[5]

On 29 August 2023, the NPP announced that Dissanayake would run for president again in 2024.[6]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
Election Constituency Party Alliance Votes Result
2004 parliamentary Kurunegala District JVP UPFA 153,868 Elected
2015 parliamentary Colombo District JVP 65,966 Elected
2019 presidential Sri Lanka JVP NPP 418,553 Lost
2020 parliamentary Colombo District JVP NPP 49,814 Elected

References

  1. ^ Anura Kumara Dissanayake is new JVP leader & National People's Power Part. Daily Mirror, Retrieved on 3 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Agriculture Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake will launch tomorrow Tank renovation scheme at Yapahuwa".
  3. ^ "JVP leaves coalition Government". TamilNet. 16 June 2005.
  4. ^ Weerasinghe, Chamikara (17 June 2005). "VP leaves Govt with regret". Daily News, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
  5. ^ "NPPM Declares JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake As Its 2019 Presidential Candidate". Colombo Telegraph. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  6. ^ "JVP on the track before race is announced - Opinion | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 6 November 2023.

External links

Party political offices Preceded bySomawansa Amarasinghe Leader of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 2 February 2014–present Incumbent Preceded by– Leader of National People's Power 2015–present Incumbent Political offices Preceded byW. D. J. Senewiratne Chief Opposition Whip 3 September 2015–18 December 2018 Succeeded byMahinda Amaraweera
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
Chief Opposition Whip
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Members of the Sri Lankan Parliament from Colombo
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