1956 Ceylonese parliamentary election

1956 Ceylonese parliamentary election

← 1952 5–10 April 1956 March 1960 →
elected members →
95 seats to the House of Representatives of Ceylon 48 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike N. M. Perera Party MEP LSSP Leader since 1956 1945 Leader's seat Attanagalla Ruwanwella Last election 15.52%, 9 seats[a] 13.11%, 9 seats Seats won 51 14 Seat change 42 5 Popular vote 1,046,277 274,204 Percentage 39.52% 10.36%   Third party Fourth party   Leader S. J. V. Chelvanayakam John Kotelawala Party ITAK UNP Leader since 1949 1953 Leader's seat Kankesanthurai Dodangaslanda Last election 1.95%, 2 seats 44.08%, 54 seats Seats won 10 8 Seat change 8 46 Popular vote 142,758 738,810 Percentage 5.39% 27.91%
Prime Minister before election John Kotelawala UNP Prime Minister-designate S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Mahajana Eksath Peramuna

Parliamentary elections were held in Ceylon in 1956. They were a watershed in the country's political history, and was the first elections fought to realistically challenge the ruling United National Party. The former Leader of the House, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who was passed over after the death of the first Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake, crossed over to the opposition to form the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to launch his bid for Prime Minister.
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