18 Facts About Wimal Weerawansa

Wimal Weerawansa is the son of Weerasangilige Podineris, a dancing teacher and professional musician, and Wadachcharige Salie.

Wimal Weerawansa joined the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna during its second insurrection and wrote articles in Lakdiva and Hiru, pro-JVP periodicals.

Wimal Weerawansa was known by various aliases including Wimalasiri Gamlath and Wanshanatha.

Wimal Weerawansa was president of the Peoples' Movement for Freedom, propaganda secretary and politburo member of the JVP.

Wimal Weerawansa even accused the ultra-nationalist National Movement Against Terrorism of orchestrating a coup d'etat.

Wimal Weerawansa was one of the Sri Lanka Progressive Front candidates in Colombo District at the 1994 parliamentary election, but the SLPF failed to win any seats in the district.

Wimal Weerawansa contested the 1997 local government election as a JVP candidate and was elected to the Colombo Municipal Council.

Wimal Weerawansa contested the 1999 provincial council election as one of the JVP's candidates in Colombo District, and as the JVP's chief minister candidate, but failed to get elected.

Wimal Weerawansa contested the 2000 parliamentary election as one of the JVP's candidates in Colombo District.

Wimal Weerawansa was one of the UPFA's candidates in Colombo District at the 2004 parliamentary election and was re-elected.

In May 2008, several dissident JVP MPs led by Wimal Weerawansa formed the National Freedom Front.

Wimal Weerawansa was appointed Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities after the election.

Wimal Weerawansa lost his ministerial position following the January 2015 presidential election.

Wimal Weerawansa was re-elected at the August 2015 parliamentary election.

Wimal Weerawansa was appointed as Minister of Industries in 2020 under Gotabaya Rajapaksa, but was later stripped of his ministerial portfolios on 3 March 2022.

On 4 September 2022, after defecting from the ruling Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance, Wimal Weerawansa founded the Supreme Lanka Coalition along with seven other small leftist and nationalist parties.

Wimal Weerawansa has been involved in numerous controversies during his career.

Wimal Weerawansa was accused of having different names and birthdates on the documents used to acquire these passports.