Deputy Minister of Health Lalith Dissanayake, who was promoted as the Acting Minister of Health, is now disgruntled as he has lost the position to former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, who joined the government last week.

Dissanayake, a senior SLFP politician representing the Kegalle District, was first elected to Parliament in 2000 and in 2010. He entered into national level politics when former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was the Leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

Health Ministry sources said Dissanayake was of the firm belief that he would be appointed as the Minister of Health after the presidential election.

The Sunday Times political column today said that Dissanayake had even hosted a party for his staff members after being appointed as the Acting Minister of Health, following Maithripala Sirisena’s exit. He has been using the Minister’s room at the Health Ministry after Sirisena was removed from his position by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

After Attanayake was appointed as the Minister of Health last week, Dissanayake has now been sent back to the Deputy Minister’s office at the Ministry.

Just hours before Maithripala Sirisena officially announced his candidature as the Common Candidate of the opposition, Dissanayake, making a speech in Parliament, said the presidential election would be a battle between two members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).