Tamara Ilangaratne Explained

Tamara Kumari Ilangaratne
Constituency Mp1:Kandy
Parliament1:Ceylon
Term Start1:1949
Term End1:1952
Predecessor1:T. B. Ilangaratne
Successor1:E. L. Senanayake
Constituency Mp2:Galagedara
Parliament2:Sri Lanka
Term Start2:1970
Term End2:1977
Predecessor2:W. M. G. T. Banda
Successor2:W. M. G. T. Banda
Birth Name:Tamara Kumari Aludeniya
Birth Date:15 March 1925
Nationality:Sri Lankan
Party:Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Occupation:politician
Spouse:T. B. Ilangaratne
Children:Sandhya, Rohana, Upeksha, Udaya

Tamara Kumari Ilangaratne (Aludeniya; 15 March 1925 – 5 October 2000) was a Ceylonese politician.[1] She was the third female member to be elected to parliament in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon).[2]

Ilangaratne was elected as the independent representative for Kandy in parliamentary by-election held on 18 June 1949, where she polled 10,062 votes (50.75% of the total vote) succeeding her husband T. B. Ilangaratne who had been unseated in an election petition and striped of his civic rights.[3] At the 2nd parliamentary elections in 1952, she failed to retain her seat, losing to the United National Party (UNP) candidate, E. L. Senanayake who received 11,349 votes (58.45%) as opposed to Ilangaratne's 7,644 votes (39.37%).[4]

In 1965 Ilangaratne contested the seat of Galagedara at the 6th parliamentary elections, representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. She was narrowly beaten by the UNP candidate, W. M. G. T. Banda, by 574 votes. She was however successful at the subsequent parliamentary elections in 1970 defeating W. M. G. T. Banda, by 2,560 votes (securing 55% of the total vote).[5] At the 1977 parliamentary elections she lost the seat to W. M. G. T. Banda, by 5,873 votes.[6]

On September 4, 1944, she married T. B. Ilangaratne, a government clerk, who entered politics as a socialist and became senior government minister.

Ilangaratne died on 5 October 2000, at the age of 75.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hon. Ilangaratne, Tamara Kumari, M.P.. Directory of Past Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. 8 August 2017.
  2. Web site: https://archive.today/20101126205955/http://parliament.lk/handbook_of_parliament/lady_members.jsp. Lady Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. 26 November 2010. 26 November 2010. 10 August 2017. dead. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: Results of By-Elections subsequent to Parliamentary General Election 1947 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka . 9 August 2017 .
  4. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka . 9 August 2017 .
  5. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka . 10 August 2017 .
  6. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977. Department of Elections, Sri Lanka . 10 August 2017.
  7. News: Tamara Kumari Illangaratne . https://web.archive.org/web/20030507062331/http://www.island.lk:80/2000/11/16/featur03.html . 2003-05-07 . 17 August 2022 . The Island Online . 16 November 2000.