 He lost his seat at the March 1960 parliamentary election but re-gained it at the July 1960 parliamentary election.Whilst Ceylon's main political parties, the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), supported the Sinhala Only Act, the leftists, led by the LSSP, opposed the act.In May 1960 LSSP leader N. M. Perera proposed that the party form a coalition government with SLFP.