Jagath Priyankara tipped to fill Sanath Nishantha’s MP seat

Jagath Priyankara who vied for the 2020 Parliamentary Election is tipped to fill the MP seat left vacant after State Minister Sanath Nishantha passed away in a tragic motor accident early this morning (25).

Priyankara is a member of the National Freedom Front (Jathika Nidahas Peramuna) led by MP Wimal Weerawansa. 

State Minister Sanath Nishantha and his security officer died in a tragic accident that took place on the Colombo - Katunayake expressway in the early hours of the day.

According to the police, the state minister’s vehicle had rear-ended a moving container truck around 2:00 a.m. (25 Jan.), before crashing against the roadside barrier.

Following the fatal collision, three persons including State Minister Nishantha were rushed to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama with critical wounds, where two of them - the lawmaker and his security guard, a police constable named Jayakody – succumbed to their injuries upon admission.

The driver of the vehicle is currently receiving medical attention at the hospital.

Kandana Police is conducting further investigations into the accident.

The group had been returning from a wedding ceremony held at a hotel in Bandarawatta, Chilaw last night when they met with the accident.

Born on 03 May 1975, Nishantha embarked on his political career in 1997 by vying for the Arachchikattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha at the local government election through Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), however, he had failed to secure enough votes. Following the murder of Sarath Hemachandra, who was elected as the Arachchikattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha chairman, Nishantha became a member of the said local government body.

Nishantha was elected to the parliament from Puttalam District in both 2015 and 2020. According to the preference list of the 2020 Parliamentary Election, Jagath Priyankara, who secured 40,527 votes, is tipped to fill the MP seat left vacant after the tragic death of the state minister.

Nishantha is survived by his wife Attorney-at-Law Chamari Perera, three daughters and son.