Rohini Kumari Wijerathna

United National Party

Rohini Kavirathna entered national politics following the death of her husband, Sanjeeva Kaviratne, in 2014. She joined the United National Party (UNP) and contested the 2015 parliamentary election from the Matale District under the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG). She secured a seat in Parliament, ranking 3rd in preferential votes for Matale, focusing on constituency development, women's issues, and rural education initiatives. During this period, she contributed to debates on agriculture, education, and rural development and pioneered initiatives such as the "Teacher Advisors Service" to support educators in remote areas.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya

In 2020, following internal divisions within the United National Party, Kavirathna joined the newly formed Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), led by Sajith Premadasa. She was re-elected as a Member of Parliament for the Matale District under the SJB banner. She later became the SJB Chief Organizer for Matale District and was nominated by the party for Deputy Speaker in 2022, although she was not elected. During this period, she gained recognition as an advocate for women's and children's rights, governance reforms, and accountability in Parliament.

During the 2020–2024 parliamentary term, Kavirathna served on the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus, the House Committee of Parliament, and Ministerial Consultative Committees on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Women and Child Affairs, and Environment.

She introduced a Private Member's Bill seeking to ban conversion therapy, supporting LGBTQ rights in Sri Lanka, and advocated for gender equality, child welfare, education reforms, scholarships, school safety, and youth development.

She was also awarded Best Female MP for her parliamentary contributions and social advocacy work.

Re-elected 2024–Present

In the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Kavirathna was re-elected as a Member of Parliament for the Matale District with 27,945 preferential votes, the highest number among Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidates in the district.

Following the resignation of Thalatha Atukorale as Chairperson of the Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya in 2024, Kavirathna was appointed as the new Chairperson of the SJB women's wing.

Following the SJB's electoral setbacks, Kavirathna has been mentioned alongside Harsha de Silva in discussions regarding the party's future direction.

Results