# 1st State Council of Ceylon

The 1st State Council of Ceylon was a meeting of the State Council of Ceylon, with the membership determined by the results of the 1931 state council election held between 13 and 20 June 1931. The parliament met for the first time on 7 July 1931 and was dissolved on 7 December 1935.

## Election

The 1st state council election was held between 13 and 20 June 1931 in 37 of the 50 constituencies. No nominations were received in four constituencies in the north of the country due to a boycott organised by the Jaffna Youth Congress. The remaining nine constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote. The remaining nine constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote. In addition the Governor nominated eight additional members, John William Oldfield, Maurice John Cary, I. X. Pereira, M. K. Saldin, V. R. S. Schokman, Evelyn Charles Villiers, Thomas Lister Villiers and Stewart Schneider.
The new state council met for the first time on 7 July 1931 and elected A. F. Molamure, F. A. Obeysekera and M. M. Subramaniam as Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees and Deputy Chairman of Committees respectively. The seven chairman of the State Council's executive committees, who were members of the Board of Ministers, were also appointed. The State Council was ceremonially opened on 10 July 1931.
Following the end of the boycott in the north of the country by-elections were held in the four constituencies in early July 1934. The newly elected members entered the state council on 17 July 1934.

## Members
### Deaths, resignations and removals

The 1st state council saw the following deaths, resignations and removals from office:
* 1931: Ratnasothy Saravanamuttu (Colombo North) unseated after being found guilty of corrupt practices by an election Judge. His wife Naysum was elected in the ensuing by-election.
* September 1931: Godfrey Edward Madawala (Naramala) died. W. H. de S. Jayasundara elected at subsequent by-election.
* August 1933: Cudah Ratwatte (Balangoda) resigned due to ill-health. T. G. Jayewardene elected at subsequent by-election.

### List

| Name | Appointed/ Elected | Constituency | Votes | Majority | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| E. W. Abeygunasekera | Elected | Nuwara Eliya | 6,942 | 3,136 | 1931 | 1935 | |
| H. W. Amarasuriya | Elected | Udugama | | | 1931 | | |
| D. D. Athulathmudali | Elected | Matugama | | | 16 June 1931 | 1935 | |
| S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike | Elected | Veyangoda | - | - | 4 May 1931 | | |
| Charles Batuwantudawe | Elected | Kalutara | | | 1931 | | Minister of Local Administration (1931–35). |
| Maurice John Cary | Appointed | European | | | 8 October 1935 | | |
| Claude Corea | Elected | Chilaw | | | 20 June 1931 | | |
| S. W. Dassenaike | Elected | Colombo South | | | 1931 | | |
| Susantha de Fonseka | Elected | Panadura | | | 20 June 1931 | | Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees (1934–35). |
| Henry De Mel | Elected | Puttalam | | | 18 June 1931 | | |
| George E. de Silva | Elected | Kandy | | | 20 June 1931 | | |
| W. A. de Silva | Elected | Moratuwa | | | 17 June 1931 | | |
| G. R. de Zoysa | Elected | Balapitiya | | | 21 September 1935 | | |
| A. Fellowes-Gordon | Elected | Bandarawela | 9,097 | | 13 June 1931 | | |
| H. R. Freeman | Elected | Anuradhapura | 8,311 | | 13 June 1931 | | |
| A. E. Goonesinha | Elected | Colombo Central | | | 13 June 1931 | | |
| Godfrey Edward Madawala | Elected | Narammala | | | 13 June 1931 | September 1932 | |
| W. H. de S. Jayasundara | Elected | Narammala | | | 14 January 1933 | | |
| D. P. Jayasuriya | Elected | Gampaha | | | 13 June 1931 | | |
| D. B. Jayatilaka | Elected | Kelaniya | - | - | 1931 | | Leader of the House (1931–35). Minister of Home Affairs (1931–35). |
| T. G. Jayewardene | Elected | Balangoda | | | 14 October 1933 | 1935 | Succeeds Cudah Ratwatte. |
| W. T. B. Karaliadda | Elected | Matale | | | 12 June 1931 | | |
| C. W. W. Kannangara | Elected | Galle | | | 1931 | | Minister of Education (1931–35). |
| D. H. Kotelawala | Elected | Badulla | - | - | 4 May 1931 | | |
| John Kotelawala | Elected | Kurunegala | | | 13 June 1931 | | |
| Arunachalam Mahadeva | Elected | Jaffna | | | 9 July 1934 | 1935 | |
| A. H. Macan Markar | Elected | Batticaloa South | | | 1931 | | Minister of Communications and Works (1931–35). |
| Adeline Molamure | Elected | Ruwanwella | | | 14 November 1931 | | |
| A. F. Molamure | Elected | Dedigama | | | 1931 | 1934 | Speaker (1931–34). |
| S. Natesan | Elected | Kankesanthurai | | | 4 May 1934 | 1935 | |
| F. A. Obeysekera | Elected | Avissawella | 7,424 | | 1931 | | Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees (1931–34). Speaker (1934–35). |
| T. B. Panabokke | Elected | Gampola | | | 1931 | | Minister of Health (1931–35). |
| I. X. Pereira | Appointed | Indian Tamils | - | - | 26 June 1931 | | |
| E. W. Perera | Elected | Horana | | | 1931 | | |
| G. K. W. Perera | Elected | Matara | | | | | |
| G. G. Ponnambalam | Elected | Point Pedro | | | 1934 | 1935 | |
| G. C. Rambukpotha | Elected | Bibile | - | - | 1931 | | |
| A. E. Rajapakse | Elected | Negombo | | | | | |
| Abeyratne Ratnayaka | Elected | Dumbara | | | | | |
| Cudah Ratwatte | Elected | Balangoda | | | 1931 | 1 August 1933 | Resigned due to ill-health. Succeeded by T. G. Jayewardene. |
| M. K. Saldin | Appointed | Malays | - | - | 26 June 1931 | 1935 | |
| Naysum Saravanamuttu | Elected | Colombo North | | | 1931 | | Succeeds Ratnasothy Saravanamuttu. |
| Ratnasothy Saravanamuttu | Elected | Colombo North | | | 1931 | 1931 | Unseated. Succeeded by Naysum Saravanamuttu. |
| Stewart Schneider | Appointed | Burghers | - | - | 26 June 1931 | | |
| V. R. S. Schokman | Appointed | Burghers | | | 26 June 1931 | | |
| M. A. Seemanpillai | Elected | Mannar-Mullaitivu | | | 1931 | | |
| Nevins Selvadurai | Elected | Kayts | | | 1934 | 1935 | |
| D. S. Senanayake | Elected | Minuwangoda | - | - | 1931 | | Minister of Agriculture and Lands (1931–35). |
| G. K. Stewart | Appointed | | | | | | |
| D. C. Stewart-Smith | Appointed | | | | 6 November 1934 | | |
| Thomas Lister Villiers | Appointed | | | | 1932 | | |
| M. M. Subramaniam | Elected | Trincomalee-Batticaloa | | | 1931 | 1935 | Deputy Chairman of Committees (1931–35). |
| Peri Sundaram | Elected | Hatton | - | - | 1931 | | Minister of Labour, Industry and Commerce (1931–35). |
| R. S. Tennekoon | Elected | Katugampola | | | 1931 | 1935 | |
| Evelyn Charles Villiers | Appointed | European | | | 8 January 1935 | | |
| S. P. Vythilingam | Elected | Talawakele | | | 1931 | | |
| David Wanigasekera | Elected | Weligama | | | | | |
| S. A. Wickremasinghe | Elected | Morawaka | | | 1931 | | |
| V. S. de S. Wikramanayake | Elected | Hambantota | 15,384 | | 1931 | | |
| Edwin Wijeyeratne | Elected | Kegalle | | | 1931 | 1935 | |
| D. J. Wimalasurendra | Elected | Ratnapura | | | 1931 | | |