Vice Chairman of the SLFP and Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva has not been given the top post of the District Committee of Badulla which handles district-level operations pertaining to the forthcoming presidential election.

Minister Lakshman Seneviratne, who crossed over to the government from the United National Party, has been given the top position of the district elections committee.

{module LOLC}

It is still not clear as to why Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has not been given the top post as he is the most senior Parliamentarian representing the district of Badulla. De silva has been a Parliamentarian since 1989.

The Minister was once considered as am suitable candidate for the position of Prime Minister.

However, at the recently held Uva Provincial Council election, Nimal Siripala de Silva failed to secure victory in own electorate. The UPFA lost the Badulla polling division to the UNP whose election campaign was led by former Parliamentarian Harin Fernando.

Seneviratne, who started his political career as an MP of the UNP, is presently the Cabinet Minister of Sugar Industries and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka representing the Badulla District. His father Capt. C. P. J. Seneviratne was a MP for Mahiyangana and former Cabinet Minister of Labour.

UPFA sources said that Seneviratne’s appointment as ahead of the committee over Nimal Siripala de Silva has created a controversy of some sort among rank and file of the UNP.