Uva Province Chief Minister Harin Fernando signed nominations to contest the upcoming general election, despite his earlier pledge to resign from politics if former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is given nominations from the UPFA.

Fernando made this pledge recently, when it was speculated that Rajapaksa will be given nominations.

Fernando topped the UNP list from Badulla District at the 2010 General Election with 49,073 preferences. In the 2014 Uva Provincial Council Election, he received a record-breaking 173,993 preferences. Following the election victory of Maithripala Sirisena at the January 2015 Presidential Election, Fernando was elected Chief Minister of Uva Province.