The general opposition has secured a decisive victory at the Beralapanathara Cooperative, the largest cooperative in Sri Lanka, winning by a margin of 84 to 15.
The cooperative, which spans the Hakmana and Deniyaya electorates, has a voting membership of over 51,000. This result is being viewed as a reflection of the political sentiment in the Matara District as a whole.
The division represented by Vijitha Rangamage, Chairman of the Pasgoda Pradeshiya Sabha, also suffered a heavy defeat in this election.
In the local government elections held in May, the Pasgoda Pradeshiya Sabha — located within this cooperative region — secured 48% of the vote, while the Hakmana Pradeshiya Sabha won with 45%.
This cooperative election was considered significant for the ruling camp, prompting ministers and MPs, including Handun and Galle Nalin, to conduct door-to-door canvassing over the past week.
Meanwhile, there were allegations that JVP members from other constituencies brought in over 20 buses of supporters, exerted pressure at the last moment, intimidated opposition candidates, and even provided transport facilities for voters.
Despite these claims and extensive campaigning, today’s cooperative election — held to elect 99 committee members — resulted in a resounding defeat for the ruling side, with the joint opposition securing 84 seats and the government’s camp receiving only 15.
