Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) member Bandula Lal Bandarigoda was sworn in as a Member of Parliament this morning (21st), filling the vacancy created by the removal of former Galle District MP Manusha Nanayakkara.
Bandarigoda took his oath before Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena following the commencement of parliamentary proceedings at 9:30 a.m. today.
The vacancy arose after the Supreme Court, on 9th August 2024, upheld the SJB’s decision to expel Manusha Nanayakkara and National List MP Harin Fernando from the party. This decision rendered both parliamentary seats vacant. The court dismissed petitions filed by Nanayakkara and Fernando challenging their expulsion.
On 18th July 2023, the SJB’s Working Committee decided to expel Fernando and Nanayakkara from the party after they accepted ministerial portfolios in the government, despite the party’s stance to take disciplinary action against them. The SJB had suspended their party membership in May 2022.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara confirmed that Bandula Lal Bandarigoda, who secured 34,897 votes and placed third in the Galle District during the 2020 General Election, would fill the vacant parliamentary seat.
The SJB General Secretary also indicated that a qualified individual would be named to fill the remaining vacant MP seat after Harin Fernando’s disqualification due to the suspension of his party membership, as Fernando was elected through the SJB’s national list.
