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Despite defeat, I will serve the people: Upeksha

21 Aug 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Popular actress Upeksha Swarnamali aka 'Paba' who lost her bid for election on the UPFA ticket in the Gampaha district said today she would continue serving the people.

She told Daily Mirror that she was grateful to all those who voted for her. The absence of a strong election campaign and the lack of experienced organizers were the main reasons for her defeat.

“There were shortcomings on my side as well. I was compelled to confine my campaign to the Diwulapitiya electorate with Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Indika Anuruddha with years of political experience contesting from the same electorate. I failed to garner enough preferential votes for these reasons,” Ms. Swarnamali said.

She was elected to parliament on the UNP ticket at the 2010 general elections with more than 80,000 preferential votes. Later, she crossed over to the UPFA and voted in favour of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

At August 17 elections she contested on the UPFA ticket as electoral organiser of Diwulapitiya and managed to obtain only 22,690 preferential votes -- insufficient for a parliamentary seat.

She said if had not made the mistake of crossing over, she would have obtained more than 80,000 preferential votes.

Ms. Swarnamali said her crossing over created a dent in her character as a politician and vowed to correct the mistake by serving the people throughout her life.

“I will never give up my career as a politician as I know that I am capable of making a change in society on behalf of people,” she said and said she would never leave UPFA for any reason. (Piyumi Fonseka)

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Despite defeat, I will serve the people: Upeksha

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