For the first time in history, in the 2024 parliamentary election, a single party was able to win a majority of seats (over 150), which is by the National People’s Power.
This great victory was achieved by winning a total of 159 seats, with 141 seats with voting and 18 National list MP positions through the parliamentary election held on 14th November.
The total number of votes won by National People’s Power is 6,863,186 which is 61.56% of the total number of votes cast. This is also the highest percentage of votes obtained by a single party in a parliamentary election in the history of parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka since 1978.
As the main opposition in the 2024 parliamentary elections, Samagi Jana Balawegaya won 1,968,716 votes and 40 seats.
Next highest number of votes were acquired by the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi party with 257,813 votes and 8 seats.
New Democratic Front competed with the symbol of Cylinder and acquired 500,835 votes and 5 seats while Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna acquired 350,429 of votes and 3 seats.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress got 3 seats with 87,038 votes and Sarwajana Balaya which got 178,006 votes got one national list MP position. The United National Party also won one seat from the Nuwara Eliya District.
In addition, the remaining seats were allocated between several minor parties representing Jaffna and Wanni districts and an independent group, and you can refer the total number of voting results released by the Election Commission from here.
The distribution of seats between parties and independent groups according to electoral districts and the total number of seats including the number of seats acquired from the national list.
A decrease in the percentage of valid voters
The number of eligible voters for this year’s election was 17,140,354 but the total number of voters who participated in the poll is 11,815,246, which is 68.93%. The number of rejected votes is 667,240.
Accordingly, the number of valid votes is 11,148,006, which is 65.04% as a percentage of eligible voters of this year’s parliamentary election.
The percentage of eligible published votes in the presidential election held about two months ago was 77.71%.
Significant differences
The National People’s Power which could only claim three seats in the parliament by getting 445,958 votes earlier, acquired a total of 159 seats this time.
Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who represented the National People’s Power in the Presidential Election held on 21st September won by securing 5,740,179 votes. This victory of the National People’s Power in this year’s parliamentary election is an increase of 1,123,007 votes compared to the presidential election.
Sajith Premadasa, the presidential candidate of Samagi Jana Balawegaya, received 4,530,902 votes, while the number of votes received by that party in the parliamentary elections was only 1,968,716. It is a loss of 2,562,186 votes compared to the presidential election. Also, in the 2020 parliamentary election, Samagi Jana Balawegaya won 54 seats, but this time it has reduced to 40 seats.
Along with the people’s dissatisfaction, the 145 seats obtained by the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna in the 2020 general election is limited to 3 seats this time, suffering a massive defeat.
Also, although the National People’s Power did not win the Jaffna and Wanni districts in the last presidential election, the party won all the electoral districts in the Northern and Eastern provinces except for Batticaloa District in the Parliamentary election, overtaking the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi party, which held most of the political power in those areas.
This is also the first time than a single party won 21 out of 22 electoral districts.
How preferences were divided among candidates in the 2024 Presidential Election.
How votes were divided among parties in the 2024 Parliamentary election.
Image: Ada Derana
Two candidates who won the most votes in the election.
Surpassing the previous record of the highest number of votes obtained by a single member in the history of parliamentary elections, Mr. Vijitha Herath who contested from Gampaha District representing the National People’s Power got 716,715 votes while Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasooriya who contested from the same party from Colombo district got 655,289 votes.
Previously, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa contested from Kurunegala District in 2020 and claimed this record by getting 527364 votes.
