Rajapaksas officially ditch Wickremesinghe, youngest heir announced as candidate for Lanka presidency

Namal Rajapaksa, 38, has been named the SLPP presidential candidate, ending the Rajapaksa family's support for incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe. This decision came after nearly 100 SLPP MPs defected to Wickremesinghe's independent bid. Namal's late entry transforms the election into a four-way race, alongside opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake.