Mrs. Bandaranaike intended for her son, Anura Bandaranaike, to succeed her as leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). However, SLFP members opposed this due to Anura’s anti-leftist stance. Between 1970 and 1977, Anura openly criticized Mrs Bandaranaike’s leftist government, favouring a market economy and JR’s pro-Western foreign policies. Chandrika Bandaranaike, on the other hand, took a different path, opposing JR’s free-market policies and strongly criticizing Western nations, especially the U.S., in line with the SLFP’s founding values upheld by Mrs. Bandaranaike. As a result, the party saw Chandrika as a more fitting leader than Anura.
Chandrika’s alignment with SLFP policies helped her win both the 1994 general and presidential elections. Before taking power, she pledged to reform JR’s open economy by giving it a more humane face, and criticizing policies that, according to her, prioritized profit over people. However, after assuming office, Chandrika continued JR’s economic approach, retaining many officials from the previous 17 years of UNP rule. Her Ministry of Finance was run by individuals from JR’s and Premadasa’s administrations, and she was pressured to maintain the open economic system, fearing long queues and economic instability if reversed.
Chandrika also made populist promises, such as reducing bread prices, but after a brief reduction, prices rose beyond 1994 levels, leading to public discontent. Government ministers, including Mahinda Rajapaksa, who served as Labor Minister, warned that government officials were undermining her administration, but she did not act. At a key budget meeting, Mahinda and other MPs urged economic relief, but when their concerns were dismissed, Mahinda confronted one of the officials, accusing him of being a detriment to the government.
As Chandrika’s policies aligned more with JR’s approach, Mahinda became a defender of the traditional SLFP middle-path policies. By 2005, SLFP members who had once supported Chandrika as Prime Minister, backed Mahinda for President due to his consistent protection of SLFP principles.
In 2024, Anura Kumara became President, reminiscent of Chandrika’s 1994 victory, with a wave of opposition against the political system similar to the anti-UNP sentiment in 1994. Despite this, just as Chandrika struggled to enact significant change against the UNP’s legacy, there are concerns whether Anura Kumara will face the same challenges. Currently, Anura’s administration is following an IMF agreement and retains officials from Gotabaya’s and Ranil’s governments, as he fears economic instability similar to Gotabaya’s tenure if the policies are reversed.
Anura has also appointed key economic advisers from the previous administration, raising concerns that, like Chandrika, he might follow the same path. Business figures who advised Gotabaya, such as Krishan Balendran and Duminda Hulangamuwa, are now advising Anura Kumara. This parallel has prompted speculation whether Anura will face a similar fate as Chandrika, though some argue his ground-level political approach may prevent the same missteps. However, it remains unclear who might emerge as the next Mahinda Rajapaksa within the JVP.
