Courtesy Adaderana

The Colombo District has seen a profound shift in voter dynamics in the 2024 General Election, with the leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Sajith Premadasa suffering a significant decline in support.

Premadasa, who garnered an impressive 305,744 votes in the 2020 parliamentary election, managed only 145,611 votes this time—marking a loss of 160,133 votes.  

Meanwhile, the rise of the National People’s Power (NPP) has made significant inroads into areas traditionally dominated by the United National Party (UNP) and subsequently the SJB as well.

Historically, constituencies such as Colombo-North, Central, East, and West have been strongholds for the UNP, boasting a long history of electoral victories. In 2020, Premadasa’s SJB managed to wrest control of these areas, consolidating its power. However, the tide has turned in this election, with the NPP claiming dominance in these constituencies.  

This shift signals a major political realignment in the Colombo District, often regarded as the heart of the UNP’s support base. 

For the first time, the sweeping mandate received by the NPP led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also included surprise backing from the North and East of the country which is dominated  by the Tamil-speakinh community and had often been secured by the UNP, SJB or other Tamil political alliances.

However, SJB leader Premadasa was placed second in the Colombo District preference votes list in the 2024 General Election with 145,611 votes while fellow party members Dr. Harsha De Silva, Mujibur Rahman and S.M. Marikkar have also secured seats from the district.

Also, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) became the main opposition party of the tenth Parliament after polling over 1.9 million votes (17.66%) and thereby obtaining 40 seats including 5 bonus seats in the House.