Rajitha’s petition seeking preference vote recount fixed for consideration

The Supreme Court has fixed for consideration the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne, seeking an order to recount the preferential votes obtained by the New Democratic Front’s (NDF) candidates for the Kalutara District in the 2024 General Election and issue the revised results.

Accordingly, the FR petition is fixed for consideration on 30 September 2025, as per a decision made by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Janaka de Silva, and Sampath B. Abeykoon today (06).

The Election Commission and its members, including its Chairman, the Kalutara District Returning Officer, Member of Parliament Rohitha Abeygunawardena (elected from the NDF in the 2024 General Election), and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in this petition.

The petitioner claims that irregularities in the preferential vote-counting process in the Kalutara District during the last General Election prevented him from being elected to Parliament.

He points out that the vote difference between him and the elected Member of Parliament from the Kalutara District was only 119 votes and that this situation arose due to those irregularities.

The petitioner has further requested the Supreme Court to rule that his fundamental human rights were violated due to this and to issue an order to the respondents to recount the preferential votes obtained by the candidates who contested the Kalutara District from the NDF in the last general election and issue new results.

Legal counsels including Attorney-at-Law Keerthi Thilakarathne and President’s Counsel Faisz Musthapha, appeared on behalf of the petitioner.