MR to hold first public rally in Anuradhapura

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa will hold his first public rally in the sacred city of Anuradhapura on July 9, Parliamentarian T. B. Ekananayake said.

This will also be the first public rally attended by Mahinda Rajapaksa after he secured SLFP nomination to contest the August 17 poll.

"The rally will be an opportunity to find out how the setbacks of a 100-Day Government can be reversed and the country put more on a developmental agenda once again, " Ekanayake said.

However, it is learnt that former UPFA strongman and the former Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa, will not contest the forthcoming election but would handle his brother's election campaign.