Former Chief Minister of the Western Provincel Reginald Cooray who topped the list in the Kalutara District at last Saturday’s Provincial Council elections was a worried man when he spoke to The Island yesterday.

"The people of Kalutara did not let me down. They backed me to the hilt and thanks to them I polled 72,951 votes, the highest in the district. However, my party, to which I devoted all my energy to make it victorious, undercut me. My party worked against me to defeat me," Cooray claimed

The UNP had invited him but he did not want to let his party down. Without mentioning specific instances where his party let him down, Cooray said even his officials were harassed by his own party and his party had been all out to see him defeated.

Prasanna Ranatunga, who polled the highest number of votes in the Western Province said that he was indebted to the people who voted for him overwhelmingly and promised to serve them to their satisfaction. He polled 186, 337 contesting in the Gampaha District on the UPFA ticket.