Ceylonese State Council election, 1931

1st Ceylonese State Council election

13–20 June 1931
50 seats to the State Council of Ceylon 26 seats were needed for a majority

The first election to the State Council of Ceylon were held from 13 to 20 June 1931. This was the first election in a British colony which used universal adult franchise.

Background

In 1931 the Donoughmore Constitution replaced the Legislative Council of Ceylon with the State Council of Ceylon as the legislature of British Ceylon. The State Council was to consist of 58 members of which 50 would be elected by universal suffrage and the remaining 8 members appointed the Governor.

The old Legislative Council was dissolved on 17 April 1931 and candidate nominations took place on 4 May 1931. The Jaffna Youth Congress, an organisation that campaigned for Ceylon independence, called for a boycott of the election since the Donoughmore Constitution didn't grant dominion status to Ceylon. Consequently no nominations were received in four constituencies in the north of the country (Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Kayts and Point Pedro). In addition, nine other constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote. Elections in the remaining 37 constituencies took place between 13 and 20 June 1931.

Elected members

The following were some of the elected members, by constituency:

• Anuradhapura, North Central Province - H. R. Freeman, polled 8,311 votes.
• Avissawella, Western Province - Forester Augustus Obeysekera, polled 7,424 votes.
• Badulla, Uva Province - D. H. Kotelawala, elected unopposed.
• Bandarawela, Uva Province - A. Fellowes Gordon, polled 9,097 votes.
• Batticaloa South, Eastern Province - H. Mohamed Macan Markar.
• Batticaloa-Trincomalee, Eastern Province - Mudaliyar Mylvaganam Subramanian.
• Bibile, Uva Province - G. C. Rambukpotha, elected unopposed.
• Colombo Central, Western Province - A. E. Goonesinha, Ceylon Labour Party, defeated T. B. Jaya.
• Colombo North, Western Province - Ratnasothy Saravanamuttu.
• Colombo South, Western Province - S. W. Dassenaike, Ceylon Labour Party.
• Galle, Southern Province - C. W. W. Kannangara.
• Hambantota, Southern Province - V. S. de S. Wikramanayake, polled 15,384 votes.
• Hatton, Central Province - Periannan Sundaram, elected unopposed.
• Horana, Western Province - E. W. Perera.
• Kelaniya, Western Province - Don Baron Jayatilaka, elected unopposed.
• Kurunegala, North Western Province - John Kotelawala.
• Mannar-Mullaitivu, Northern Province - Mudaliyar Anantham Seemanpillai, defeated G. G. Ponnambalam.
• Minuwangoda, Western Province - Don Stephen Senanayake, elected unopposed.
• Morawaka, Southern Province - S. A. Wickremasinghe.
• Ruwanwella, Sabaragamuwa Province - Adeline Molamure, elected unopposed.
• Talawakele, Central Province - S. P. Vythilingham.
• Trincomalee, Eastern Province - M. M. Subramanium.
• Udugama (Galle district), Southern Province - H. W. Amarasuriya
• Veyangoda, Western Province - S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, elected unopposed.

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On 26 June 1931 Governor Edward Barnes nominated eight members to the State Council.

By elections

In 1934 by-elections were held for the four vacant seats in the north. The following candidates were elected:

• Jaffna, Northern Province - Arunachalam Mahadeva.
• Kankesanthurai, Northern Province - S. Natesan.
• Kayts, Northern Province - Nevins Selvadurai.
• Point Pedro, Northern Province - G. G. Ponnambalam.