NPP popularity takes nosedive in first electoral test since taking power

In its first electoral test since taking power, the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) fell short of expectations, winning only around 40 % of the national vote in Tuesday’s local government election and  falling short of enough seats to gain control of the majority of councils.

The NPP secured around 4.5 million votes or around 40% of the vote in the election with the main opposition SJB winning around 17% per cent or around 2.2 million votes. 

The election saw the SLPP emerge a strong third in many places and finished with around a million votes or around 8  % of the overall votes. In the last presidential and parliamentary polls SLPP managed only around 350,000 votes or 3% of the vote share.

The UNP came fourth with  close to 4% (488,406 votes), a slight improvement from the less than 1% vote share it won in last general election while the People Alliance got  3% (387,098 votes) and the  the ITAK 3.77 % (307,657 votes).

 The NPP held on to its lead in most provinces including the Western, Southern, Central, Northwestern, North Central, Uva , Sabaragamuwa but saw a drop-in support in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

The NPP which secured a majority of the electorates in the Northern province in the last presidential and general election lost  to the Illankai Tamil Arusu Kachchi (ITAK) and other Tamil political parties in many of the local bodies while holding on marginally in the overall vote share in the Mannar and Vavuniya District.

The NPP emerged the largest party winning 48 seats in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) by polling over 81,000 votes (36.92%) with the SJB finishing with 29 and the UNP with 13 seats.

 27 other seats in the CMC were split between several political parties and independent groups  giving the majority control in the council to the opposition.

Only around 60 % of  over 17 million eligible voters cast their votes in Tuesday’s  election to elect members to 339 Municipal and Urban councils and Pradeshiya sabhas across the country.