The rally calls to name former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime ministerial candidate at the upcoming General election.

A crowd had gathered at the airport to welcome Ranatunga back to the country.

Speaking, the Chief minister has said that he would join the rally with 40 provincial councillors and 300 others from local government institutions.

SLFP MPs to join

Meanwhile, UPFA Rathnapura district MP Ranjith Soyza said that a group of UPFA MPs including those from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) would join today’s rally in Rathnapura.

He was speaking at a special media briefing held in Narahenpita yesterday.

He questioned what was wrong with joining a rally held by a fellow party of the UPFA coalition if it was fine to obtain ministerial portfolios of Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government.

He added that he was not afraid to join the rally.

MPs Roshan Ranasinghe and Gamini Lokuge as well as several Provincial councillors and Pradeshiya Sabha members also addressed the media briefing.

Warning

Meanwhile, speaking at a separate media briefing yesterday, SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa had warned that disciplinary action would be taken against SLFP MPs who will attend the Rathnapura rally.