Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People's Power (NPP) took a strong lead in Sri Lanka's presidential election on Sunday. Sri Lankan citizens voted to elect a new president in the voting held on Saturday. This is the first election in Sri Lanka after the economic crisis of 2022. About 75 percent of the voters exercised their franchise in the presidential election. 

So far Dissanayake has got 52 percent votes

In the results declared by 7 am on Sunday, 56-year-old Anura Kumara Dissanayake secured 52 percent of the votes, while his closest rival and main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa secured 23 percent of the votes. Outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe (75) managed to secure only 16 percent of the votes. 

Know who is Anura Kumara Dissanayake?

In such a situation, it is believed that Anura Kumara Disanayake can be the new President of Sri Lanka. So far the election results are in his favor. Let us know who is 56-year-old Anura Kumara Disanayake? Who can now be the new President of Sri Lanka.

Joined JVP during school days 

Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968 in Thambuthegama, Sri Lanka. His father was a labourer and mother was a housewife. Dissanayake joined the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during his school days. 

Graduated from Physics

He became fully involved in politics during the JVP revolution of 1987-1989. He initially studied at the University of Peradeniya. He then graduated with a physics degree from the University of Kelaniya in 1995. Dissanayake is a Marxist leader of Sri Lanka.

Became cabinet minister in 2004

In 2004, Dissanayake became a cabinet minister in President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government, where he handled agriculture, livestock, land and irrigation. However, in 2005, he and other JVP ministers resigned in protest against a joint agreement between the government and the LTTE to coordinate tsunami relief.

Ranked third in 2019 

Anura Kumara Dissanayake became the leader of the JVP in 2014 succeeding Somawansha Amarasinghe and contested as the JVP's presidential candidate in 2019. He came third in the 2019 presidential election with 3 percent of the vote.

Now he is fighting the election from NPP and is heading towards becoming the President

This time Dissanayake announced another presidential bid for the 2024 elections under the National People's Power (NPP). In the election results, this time he is leading with 52 percent of the votes.