He is the son of Harris Leuke Ratwatte who was former Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy, He was a member of the State Council in 1936 to 1947 for Kegalle and United National Party Member of Parliament for Mawanella 1947 to 1952.
Ratwatte was educated at Trinity College, Kandy.
He had also served as the Acting Diyawadana Nilame (Chief lay Custodian) of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy and former Basnayake Nilame (Lay Custodian) of the Natha Devale, Kandy. He was a cousin of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike. In the 1970 and 1977 General Elections, he contested Sengkadagala Electorate from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party but was defeated.
While Kumaratunga held the portfolio of Minister of Defense.
Ratwatte had served in the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. On the successful completion of the Operation Riviresa which resulted in the recapture of the Jaffna peninsula, which Ratwatte oversaw as deputy defence minister.
He was promoted to the rank of General by President Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1995.
Anuruddha Ratwatte had been a Councillor in the Kandy Municipal Council representing the United National Party In the late 1960s later in 1980s Leader of the Opposition in the Kandy Municipal Council representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Ratwatte entered national politics in the late 1960s as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Chief Organizer for the Sengkadagala Electorate.
