Western Provincial Council Member Hirunika Premachandra revealed that former MP Namal Rajapaksa asked her to slow down her campaign and help Udaya Gammanpila obtain the highest number of preferential votes in the 2014 Western Provincial Council Election.

 

Taking part in 'Giraya' political talk show on ITN last night, she said that Rajapaksa told this privately and that he could always deny this.

 

Premachandra revealed that she wanted to launch her political career not from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party but Sri Lanka Mahajana Party. However, since SLMP is also part of the UPFA, her nomination had to be approved by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He initially opposed to giving her nomination to contest the election, Premachandra said. For a brief moment, she was even considering joining the UNP, she revealed.

 

Hirunika Premachandra topped the preferencial votes from Colombo District with 139,034 votes. Gammanpila received 115,638 votes.