Two former All-Island Central Committee members of the SLFP, Aruna Priyashantha and Asanka Srinath, have filed a petition at Colombo District Court demanding the reinstatement of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Chairman of the party.

They argue that Maithripala Sirisena contested the 2015 Presidential Election under the ticket of another party after leaving the SLFP and therefore he cannot be named the Chairman of the party.

The petitioners also demand that their membership of the SLFP All-Island CC be restored.

They have named SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake and former General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa as respondents in the petition. Their lawyers today said that the petition has no grounds to proceed.

The District Court allowed the petitioners to advertise the petition in newspapers and set the next hearing for February 20.