On 30 January 2020, the
United National Party working committee approved
Sajith Premadasa as leader of the new alliance and its prime ministerial candidate. On 11 February, the Election Commission accepted the appointment of
Opposition Leader Premadasa as the leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya and
Ranjith Madduma Bandara as General Secretary. On 13 February, the
Jathika Hela Urumaya,
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and
Tamil Progressive Alliance announced their support for the new alliance. On 19 February, the United National Party working committee approved a swan for the symbol of a new UNP-led alliance. On 2 March, the SJB was officially launched at Nelum Pokuna Colombo. On 9 March, the alliance opened its headquarters in Ethulkotte,
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, On 14 February 2020, both Premadasa and UNP leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to contest the elections under the swan symbol and file nominations under the Samagi Jana Balawegaya banner to avoid a division in the United National Party. At the last moment, however, the SJB withdrew from the agreement and a majority of its members submitted nominations under the telephone symbol. Approximately 75 members of parliament joined the alliance. A minority of UNP members filed their nominations under the elephant symbol. In the 2020 parliamentary elections held on 5 August, the alliance won 54 seats, thus becoming the main opposition party of the country. On 20 August, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa was inaugurated as the
Leader of the Opposition.
Other participants The
Jathika Hela Urumaya,
Tamil Progressive Alliance, and
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress agreed to join the new alliance on 12 February 2020. In December 2023, the SJB announced that they would form an alliance in 2024 with other political parties, including the
Freedom People's Congress, a breakaway party of the ruling
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna led by its former chairman
G. L. Peiris. This alliance was launched as the
Samagi Jana Sandanaya, and nominated party leader Sajith Premadasa as its candidate in the
2024 presidential elections. ==Overview==