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By Tharushi Weerasinghe  

With a record number of new faces entering Parliament a large number of political personalities that have been in the space for decades have been voted out at the polls this week.

A total of 88 parliamentarians from 2020 that contested in the election this year failed to secure the votes to get through into the new parliament.  

Many of these parliamentarians held key positions in the successive Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe governments between 2020-2024. Kanchana Wijesekera was the former Minister of Power and Energy, while Pavithra Wanniarachchi held the post of Minister of Health during the pandemic and was later appointed as the Minister of Wildlife and Environment under the Wickremesinghe government.

Roshan Ranasinghe who also contested in the Presidential Election in September was the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs until he left his post in 2023. Nimal Siripala De Silva, who has been a recurring figure in Parliament for a few decades was the Minister of Ports, and Aviation in the previous government.

Douglas Devananda, a seasoned politician, was the Minister of Fisheries in the last government. Vidura Wickramanayake was the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religion, and Cultural Affairs and Susil Premajayantha was the Minister of Education. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was State Minister of Finance from the end of 2022.

Following the results, former MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who held various portfolios throughout his decades-long career announced his retirement from politics.

Those from the 9th Parliament who contested and failed to get into the new parliament are Mahinda Amaraweera, Ajith Rajapaksha, Nipuna Ranawaka, Kanchana Wijesekera, Dr Ramesh Pathirana, Sampath Athukorala, Johnston Fernando, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, S M Chandrasena, Shasheendra Rajapaksha, Roshan Ranasinghe, Dilum Amunugama, Janaka Wakkumbura, Vidura Wickramanayake, Indika Anurudda, Prasanna Ranaweera, Premalal Jayasekara, Rohana Dissanayake, Aravind Kumar, Udaya Gammanpila, Dharmalingam Siddarthan, Sarathi Dushmantha, Govindan Karunakaram, Madura Withanage, Premnath C Dolawaththa, Jagath Kumara, Piyal Nishantha, Prof Channa Jayasumana, Duminda Dissanayake, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Sanjeewa Edirimanne, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Kokila Gunwardana, D B Herath, Charitha Herath, Sisira Jayakody, Anupa Pasqual, Dilan Perera, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Pramitha Bandara Thennakoon, Bandulal Bandarigoda, Chandima Weerakkodi, D Weerasingha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Asanka Navaratne, Shantha Bandara, Manjula Dissanayake, Nimal Lanza, Ashoka Priyantha, Chinthaka Mayadunna, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Wasantha Yapa Bandara, Tissa Attanayake, Vadivel Suresh, Nalin Fernando, Upul Mahendra, Susil Premajayantha, Sarath Weerasekara, Isuru Dodangoda, Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva, Milan Jayathilaka, Chandrasiri Muthukumara, Rajika Wickramasinghe, Tharaka Balasuriya, Nalaka Bandara, Muditha Soysa, Jagath Priyankara, Sumith Udukumbura, Arundhika Fernando, Vijitha Berugoda, Rajitha, Senaratne, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Buddhika Pathirana, Eran Wickramaratne, Mano Ganeshan, Ashoka Abeysinghe, Thushara Amarasena, Lalith Ellawala, Lalith Waranakumara, Jayaratne Herath, Kapila Atukorala, M A Sumanthiran, Douglas Devananda, and Velu Kumar.

Ranjan Ramanayake, Harin Fernando, and Manusha Nanayakkara who were parliamentarians of the 2020 Parliament but did not complete their term at the time also contested but failed to gain seats in the new Parliament.