# Dedigama Electoral District

Dedigama electoral district was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Dedigama in Kegalle District, Sabaragamuwa Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing members of Parliament. The existing 160 mainly single-member electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral districts. Dedigama electoral district was replaced by the Kegalle multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections, the first under the proportional representation system.

## Members of Parliament

Key
Independent UNP MEP
| Election | Member | Party | Term |
| 1947 | Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | 1947-1952 |
| 1952 | Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | 1952-1956 |
| 1956 | Maithripala Herath | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna | 1956-1960 |
| 1960 (March) | Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | 1960 |
| 1960 (July) | Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | 1960-1965 |
| 1965 | Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | 1965-1970 |
| 1970 | Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | 1970-1973 |
| 1973 (by-election) | Rukman Senanayake | United National Party | 1973-1977 |
| 1977 | Nissanka Wijeyeratne | United National Party | 1977-1989 |

## Elections
### 1947 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 1st parliamentary election held between 23 August 1947 and 20 September 1947:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | Hand | 20,170 | 85.14 |
| B. J. Fernando | | Elephant | 3,308 | 13.96 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 23,478 | 99.10 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 213 | 0.90 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 23,691 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 29,556 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 80.16 |

### 1952 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 2nd parliamentary election held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | Elephant | 21,206 | 75.13 |
| Hector Wijetunga | | Star | 5,647 | 20.01 |
| Darrell Peiris | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 1,136 | 4.02 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 27,989 | 99.16 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 237 | 0.84 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 28,226 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 34,764 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 81.19 |

### 1956 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 3rd parliamentary election held between 5 April 1956 and 10 April 1956:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Maithripala Herath | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 22,816 | 77.26 |
| Wimala I. Kannangara | United National Party | Elephant | 6,360 | 21.54 |
| W. A. Munasinghe | | Umbrella | 191 | 0.65 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 29,367 | 99.44 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 164 | 0.56 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 29,531 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 39,972 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 73.88 |

### 1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | Elephant | 12,208 | 49.52 |
| W. A. Munasinghe | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 5,629 | 22.83 |
| Athauda Seneviratne | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 4,383 | 17.78 |
| Maithripala Herath | | Cartwheel | 2,289 | 9.28 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 24,509 | 99.41 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 146 | 0.59 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 24,655 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 29,061 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 84.84 |

### 1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | Elephant | 13,340 | 53.12 |
| Deshapriya Senanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 11,683 | 46.52 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 25,023 | 99.63 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 92 | 0.37 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 25,115 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 29,061 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 86.42 |

### 1965 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | Elephant | 17,987 | 55.02 |
| Deshapriya Senanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 14,558 | 44.53 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 32,545 | 99.54 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 149 | 0.46 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 32,694 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 36,072 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 90.64 |

### 1970 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Dudley Senanayake | United National Party | Elephant | 19,513 | 51.29 |
| Dharmasiri Senanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 18,446 | 48.48 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 37,959 | 99.77 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 89 | 0.23 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 38,048 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 41,595 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 91.47 |

### 1973 Parliamentary by-election

Following the death of Dudley Senanayake in April 1973 a by-election for the seat of Dedigama was held on 9 July 1973:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Rukman Senanayake | United National Party | Elephant | 23,306 | 54.61 |
| Dharmasiri Senanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 18,798 | 44.05 |
| Sirisena Rajapakse | | Chair | 227 | 0.53 |
| J. D. Sugathadasa | | Lamp | 205 | 0.48 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 42,536 | 99.67 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 139 | 0.33 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 42,675 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |

### 1977 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Nissanka Wijeyeratne | United National Party | Elephant | 24,436 | 54.07 |
| Dharmasiri Senanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 17,704 | 39.18 |
| A. R. Victor Rajapakse | | Chair | 2,071 | 4.58 |
| M. J. F. Ratnayake | | Key | 829 | 1.83 |
| A. R. Wijeratne | | Ladder | 152 | 0.34 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 45,050 | 99.69 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 124 | 0.31 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 45,192 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 50,729 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 89.09 |