Tissa Vitharana, a Sri Lankan physician and politician, died on February 13, 2026, at the age of 91.
Known formally as Vidya Jyothi Upali Tissa Vitharana, he served as a Member of Parliament and a cabinet minister, led the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, and was Governor of North Central Province from 2019 to 2020. Born in Nuwara Eliya on August 30, 1934, he studied at Trinity College, Kandy, Ananda College, Colombo, and the University of Ceylon’s medical faculty in Colombo, graduating with an MBBS degree in 1959.
Vidya Jyothi Upali Tissa Vitharana (30 August 1934 – 13 February 2026) was a Sri Lankan physician and politician who was a Member of Parliament and a cabinet minister. He was the leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and served as Governor of North Central Province from 2019 to 2020.