The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) stated that Parliamentarians representing the SLPP, who are supporting President and independent Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe will not be allowed to contest in the upcoming Parliamentary Election under the Party’s banner.

While the SLPP has fielded the Party's National Organiser MP Namal Rajapaksa as their Presidential candidate, the majority of SLPP MPs, including Cabinet and State Ministers, have extended their support to Wickremesinghe, who was earlier backed by the SLPP as a whole.

As the Parliamentary Election will have to be held soon after the Presidential Election which will be held on 21 September, The Daily Morning queried SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam as to whether the MPs who are supporting Wickremesinghe will be granted nominations to contest the Parliamentary Election under the SLPP banner. In response, he said: "We, as the Party, decided to initiate disciplinary action against anyone who supports another Presidential candidate instead of the one fielded by the Party. It is meaningless to talk about nominations for those who violate Party discipline unless we take disciplinary action against them." When queried if it means that such MPs would not be granted nominations to contest under the SLPP, he replied: "Yes."

After the SLPP Politburo decided to field its own Presidential candidate rather than support Wickremesinghe, Rajapaksa was nominated as the Party’s candidate. However, a significant number of SLPP members have already expressed their support for Wickremesinghe. Reports suggest that these members are planning to form a separate political alliance, with the post of the General Secretary likely to be offered to the Minister of Health and Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana.