NPP wins most LG bodies but sees drop in vote share: Hung councils raise concern

SJB trying to take control of CMC Govt. suffers set back in N&E SLPP records significant increase in votes but fails to win single body

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The ruling National People's Power (NPP) secured 266 out of 339 local government bodies at the May 6 election but suffered a setback in the northern and eastern regions as the Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won 42 local authorities.

The ITAK and SLMC secured 37 and 05 local government bodies, respectively, although President Anura Kumara Dissanayake personally led the NPP's campaign in the former war zone. The National Congress won the Akkaraipattu MC. In the last parliamentary election held in Nov. 2014, the NPP won all electoral districts, except Batticaloa.

The NPP obtained 4,503,930 votes countrywide whereas in the last parliamentary election it received 6,863,186 votes; there has been a drop of 2,359,256 votes.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) won 13 local government bodies, but the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) failed to secure any.