Colombo, October 16 (Daily Mirror)- In what seemed like an interesting development within the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), The party leadership had refused to accept the resignation letter submitted by Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya National Organiser Hirunika Premachandra while Ms. Premachandra insisted that she had to focus on her campaign in Colombo.

SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara told a media briefing that the party refused to accept the resignation letter submitted by Ms. Premachandra and that she will continue to be the national organizer of the Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya.

“We have requested Ms. Premachandra to continue as the National Organizer of Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya and she has agreed to do so. At the same time he said there are other female members of the party’s women’s wing to oversee its affairs if Ms. Premachandra is unable to do so during the election campaign. He also said the party has allowed her to focus on the Colombo district as she is a candidate. He came out with this after Ms. Premachandra said she is unable visit all parts of the country as she had to focus on her campaign in Colombo.

Further Madduma Bandara said no one in the party had blamed organizers for the SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa’s electoral setback at the presidential election.

However Ms Premachandra insisted that one member of SJB had blamed the organizers for the defeat at the presidential poll. “It is the party leader and general secretary who are the most senior people in the party. There cannot be others who are more powerful,” she said.

Ms. Premachnadra also said she is unable to oversee activities of the Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya as she had to focus on the election. “I am a candidate in this election and I have to focus on my candidacy in Colombo where the competition is intense,” She said.

Ms. Premachandra revealed that she had a meeting with party leader Premadasa prior to the press conference. Her appearance at the press conference was unexpected as only Madduma Bandara and the party’s Colombo District candidate Eran Wickramaratne were scheduled to speak at the briefing.