Hirunika Premachandra

Hirunika Eranjali Premachandra (; born 14 October 1987) better known as Hirunika Premachandra is a member of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. She is a former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament from the United National Party and a former member of the Western Provincial Council. Born to Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, Hirunika was educated at Visakha Vidyalaya.

In 2014, she joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and contested the Western Provincial Council election under the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). She secured the highest number of preferential votes in the Colombo District and was elected to the council.

SLFP and Sirisena alignment (2014–2015) During the split within the SLFP in 2014, Premachandra supported Maithripala Sirisena in the 2015 Sri Lankan presidential election. After Sirisena’s victory, she was appointed to the SLFP Central Committee.

United National Party — Member of Parliament (2015–2020) Ahead of the 2015 general election, Premachandra left the SLFP in protest of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa being nominated by the UPFA. She joined the United National Party (UNP) and contested from the Colombo District under the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) coalition. She was elected to Parliament in 2015. For contesting under a rival party, she was later expelled from the SLFP.

On 18 October 2017, she was appointed as the UNP organiser for Ratmalana by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. During her parliamentary term, Premachandra was active on youth empowerment, women’s rights, and anti-corruption issues.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (2020–present) Following internal rifts within the UNP, Premachandra joined the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by Sajith Premadasa in 2020. Premachandra lost her parliamentary seat in the 2020 general election.

She remained active within the party’s women’s wing and organisational structure.

2022 protests and public activism Premachandra took part in the 2022 Sri Lankan protests, actively participating in demonstrations calling for accountability and the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Her participation led to several brief arrests during protest actions in Colombo.

She contested again in the 2024 parliamentary election from Colombo District but failed to secure a seat. On 16 October 2024, she resigned as National Organiser of the SJB’s women’s wing (Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya) to focus on her upcoming campaign while reaffirming her support for the party.

Personal life On 6 July 2015, Premachandra married model and actor Hiran Yattowita. They had three children. On 11 March 2025, she posted a message on her Facebook page stating that the couple had decided to separate.

Electoral history

+ Provincial ElectionsYearConstituencyPartyAllianceVotes%Result 2014 Western Province Sri Lanka Freedom Party United People's Freedom Alliance 31.37%

+ Parliamentary ElectionsYearConstituencyPartyAllianceVotes%+/−Result 2015 Colombo District United National Party UNF for Good Governance 11.01% 11.01 2020 Samagi Jana Balawegaya Samagi Jana Sandhanaya 11.49% 0.48 2024 17.35% 5.74

Abduction case On 21 December 2015, Premachandra was alleged to have kidnapped an aspiring model and cricketer Cheruka Weerakoon from a shop by her bodyguards and threatened to take pictures of him without his sunglasses. It is alleged that the Weerakoon was forcibly taken away in a black Defender jeep registered under Premachandra's name. The model, who was subsequently released from his enforced detention, lodged a complaint with the police giving a different narrative. The news rose out quickly in local media. Premachandra announced a press conference and denied any knowledge of this incident, claiming that she was at a function at the Colombo Municipal Council where President Maithreepala Sirisena was also in attendance. Weerakoon confirmed her presence at the said incident and some CCTV footage which showed her activity with him a few days earlier. As a result of the incident police jailed her bodyguards but not her. She has been sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court.

Filmography No. denotes the Number of Sri Lankan film in the Sri Lankan cinema.

Year No. Film Role20181314UdumbaraNational head coach. First cinematic role