• Blames Premadasa for poor leadership; quits SJB

Former MP Ajith Mannapperuma, who submitted his nomination to contest the General Elections from the Gampaha District under the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has announced his withdrawal from the Election and his resignation from the party.

During a press conference on Saturday (12), he stated that this decision was made due to his removal from the position of SJB Chief Organiser for Gampaha Electorate.

“I am a candidate on the SJB list for the Gampaha District in this election. I have also served as the organiser for the Gampaha constituency for 20 years. However, even though I submitted my nomination as a candidate for the SJB this time, I intended to refrain from asking for votes,” he said.

He emphasised that he no longer wishes to work with the SJB and requested that people not vote for him.The former MP said he is extremely disappointed with the party leader Sajith Premadasa claiming within 24 hours of signing his nomination, the SJB leader had secretly given the position of electoral organiser in the Gampaha constituency to “a person who worked for Ranil Wickremesinghe and the United National Party”.