After praising President Ranil Wickremesinghe for turning the country around following the 2022 issue, the majority of SLPP legislators wanted the group to support their new ally.
Wickremesinghe does not belong to the SLPP.
After he fled and resigned following weeks of protests over fraud and mismanagement, he had the support to change Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had previously resigned.
Despite the collapse of Gotabaya, the SLPP enjoyed a lot in the 225-member legislature, controlled the government- and had supported Wickremesinghe.
But, the parting of ways began when the election was called next month.
That revealed the divisions between the once-dominant SLPP, a nationalist party that appealed to the lot in Sinhala.
The SLPP announced that it would run for president if Namal were to be chosen, causing a primary election contest between four major contenders.
Wickremesinghe had lost both of his political contests. Since joining the legislature in 1977, he had only been excellent minister once.