8,821 candidates will  contest the general election.

Commissioner general of elections Saman Sri Rathnayake says that 468 recognized political parties have handed over their nominations and out of them 36 have been rejected.  

The number of accepted nominations is at 432 and 318 independent groups have submitted nominations and 34 were rejected.  

284 nominations relevant to the independent groups have been accepted.  Of the overall 786 nominations 716 have been accepted.  

5,464 candidates representing political parties and 3,357 independent candidates have qualified for the forthcoming general election.  Accordingly, 8,821 candidates will contest the general election.