SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said his previous leader laughed at him when he declared that he would obtain the highest preferential votes at his first election.
Despite that, he said, he managed to poll the highest votes from the western province at that election.
The Colombo district MP claimed that since then, he has been able to bring about a positive change for Kolonnawa that had been plagued by a lack of development, education facilities and unemployment.
It was an electorate considered then to be the lowest in the entire district, he said.
He was speaking as chief guest at the My Future youth conference at Mangalapaya in Kolonnawa on 04 August.
He said he requested for the particular electorate, which had not been won by the UNP until then.
Ten years later, he was very happy to note the development achieved by Kolonnawa, Kotikawatte, Mulleriyawa areas, said Marikkar.
Much more remains to be done for the electorate, he said, adding that his intention is to make it a beautiful urbanity.
Present at the event for the launch of the development plan for Kolonnawa were former cricketer Chaminda Vaas, Ogilvy advertising managing director Lalith Sumanasiri and singers Dimanka Wellalage and Nilan Hettiarachchi.
