Hon.
Jagath Pushpakumara
MP
ජගත් පුෂ්පකුමාර
ஜகத் புஷ்பகுமாரா
Member of Parliament
for Monaragala District
In office
1994–2000
In office
2001–2015
In office
2020–present
Deputy Minister of Livestock Development and Estate Infrastructure
In office
1997–1999
Deputy Minister Mahaweli Development
In office
1999–2000
Deputy Minister Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation
In office
2004–2006
Deputy Minister of Agriculture
In office
2005–2006
Non-Cabinet Minister of Rural Livelihood Development & Social Services and Welfare
In office
2006–2007
Non-Cabinet Minister of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development
In office
2007–2010
Deputy Minister of Agriculture
In office
23 April 2010 – 22 November 2010
Minister of Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development
In office
22 November 2010 – 9 January 2015
Deputy Minister of Planatation [sic?] Industries
In office
22 March 2015 – 17 August 2015
Personal details
Born (1963-04-03) 3 April 1963
Hambantota, Sri Lanka
Political partySri Lanka Freedom Party
Other political
affiliations		United People's Freedom Alliance
Children2
Residence(s)No 34A, Ashoka circle, Subhuthipura, Battaramulla
Alma materBandarawela Central College
S.Thomas' College
ProfessionPolitician

Arukathu Patabendige Jagath Pushpakumara, commonly known as Jagath Pushpakumara (Sinhala: ජගත් පුෂ්පකුමාර), is a Sri Lankan politician and Member of Parliament.[1][2][3]

Political career

In 1993, Pushpakumara started his political career as the Wellawaya Electoral Organizer for Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Then he became a Date Central Committee Member from 2010 to the present. During that same time, he worked as the SLFP Deputy Secretary from February 2015 to 2018. Apart from them, he was an active member of several committees including; the Committee on Public Enterprises, Committee on Public Petitions and Ministerial Consultative Committee on Labour.[1] In the second government under President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Pushpakumara was appointed as the Minister of Coconut Development.[4][5]

On 28 December 2015, Pushpakumara arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry Into Large-scale Corruption and Fraud.[6][7][8][9] In 2016, he was investigated for allegedly using over Rs.5 million rupees of government money to buy land under his wife's name. That same year, his official residence in Wijerama Mawatha was damaged by an electrical fire.[10] In 2020, he made a controversial statement at a public election rally that there was a conspiracy to assassinate him.[11][12]

Pushpakumara contested the 2020 parliamentary election as a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) candidate in Monaragala District and was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka, finishing the fourth among the SLPP candidates.[13][14] On 22 February 2022, he was appointed as the new Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions for the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament.[15] In May 2022, it is reported that SLFP representatives Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mahinda Amaraweera, Duminda Dissanayake, Jagath Pushpakumara and Lasantha Alagiyawanna have decided to go beyond the party decision and take over the ministries of the new government under Ranil Wickramasinghe.[16]

Electoral history of Jagath Pushpakumara
Election Constituency Party Alliance Votes Result
1994 parliamentaryMonaragala DistrictSri Lanka Freedom PartyPeople's Alliance21,100Elected
2001 parliamentaryMonaragala DistrictSri Lanka Freedom PartyPeople's Alliance32,754Elected
2004 parliamentaryMonaragala DistrictSri Lanka Freedom PartyUnited People's Freedom Alliance52,887Elected
2010 parliamentaryMonaragala DistrictSri Lanka Freedom PartyUnited People's Freedom Alliance67,903Elected
2020 parliamentaryMonaragala DistrictSri Lanka Freedom PartyUnited People's Freedom Alliance66,176Elected

References

  1. 1 2 "Directory of Members: Hon. Jagath Pushpakumara, M.P." Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka: Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "Jagath Pushpakumara – Manthri.lk". manthri.lk. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  3. ↑ ""The country fell into the abyss due to the robbery of the Central Bank," says former Minister Jagath Pushpakumara". Salalihini.com (in Sinhala). 16 June 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "What do you think will be the next election: views expressed". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "Jagath Pushpakumara on corruption in the coconut industry". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Former minister Pushpakumara arrives at fraud inquiry commission". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Presidential Commission summons former minister Jagath Pushpakamara". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "Opposition MPs files complaints on CBSL Governor (Watch Video)". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  9. ↑ Fernando, Shashini (2017). ""Yes, I am going" – Minister Jagath Pushpakumara". sinhala.news.lk (in Sinhala). Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  10. ↑ "The Real Story: Former minister Jagath Pushpakumara's residence "under fire"". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "They are trying to kill me before the 5th: Jagath Pushpakumara says in public with tears in his eyes! (Video )". www.newstube.lk (in Sinhala). Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "People in Pohottu are discussing to kill me before the election – Jagath Pushpakumara cries on stage (VIDEO)". ColomboXnews (in Sinhala). 27 July 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Part I : Section (I) – General – Government Notifications – Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 3" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. No. 2187/26. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 8 August 2020. p. 8A. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. ↑ "Although I did not get a ministry, I am very happy today – Jagath Pushpakumara". divaina.lk. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "Hon. Jagath Pushpakumara has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions". www.news.lk (in Sinhala). Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "Nimal-Amaraweera-Duminda-Jagath-Alagiyawanna ready to take over the ministry! Maithri convenes emergency Central Committee Sends letter to Ranil too! EXCLUSIVE - Sri Lanka News Update". Mawratanews.lk: Sri Lanka Latest Sinhala News and Headlines (in Sinhala). 15 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
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