Honorific-Prefix: | Hon. |
Nandimithra Ekanayake | |
Office: | Minister of Provincial Councils & Local Government |
Successor: | Chinthana Ekanayake |
Term Start: | 2000 |
Term End: | 2001 |
Office2: | Deputy Minister of Higher Education |
Term Start2: | 2010 |
Term End2: | 9 January 2015 |
Constituency Mp3: | Matale |
Parliament3: | Sri Lanka |
Term Start3: | 2009 |
Term End3: | 2015 |
Term Start4: | 2000 |
Term End4: | 2001 |
Term Start5: | 1989 |
Term End5: | 1999 |
Office6: | Chief Minister of Central Province |
Predecessor6: | Sarath Ekanayake |
Successor6: | Sarath Ekanayake |
Term Start6: | 1999 |
Term End6: | 2000 |
Birth Date: | 26 December 1943 |
Birth Place: | Handala, British Ceylon |
Nationality: | Sri Lankan |
Spouse: | Manel Sujatha Senevirathna |
Party: | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
Otherparty: | United People's Freedom Alliance |
Residence: | 3/21 Malwatta Road, Matale |
Mahinda Nandimithra Ekanayake (born 26 December 1943) is a Sri Lankan politician.[1]
Prior to entering politics in 1989, he held a number of positions with the Rural Development Department. At the age of 21, he worked as a rural development officer. He was ultimately promoted to district officer and subsequently served as the Chief Officer in charge of the Rural Development Training Center at Nalanda, Matale. During his time in the Rural Development Department, he became known as a writer and journalist. In 1984, Nandimithra joined the growing Sri Lanka Mahajana Party.[2]
In 1989, after 23 years of government work, he entered politics. He was first elected to the parliament in 1989 as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party candidate in the Matale electorate. His first appointment was as the Minister of Forestry and Environment. After several years in that post, he took over political leadership of the Central Province as the Chief Minister. He was the deputy minister of higher education, and he pledged support to Opposition Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the 2015 presidential election. He is also an author and journalist who has written for many national newspapers and has written books on Buddhism.