The New Democratic Front (NDF), led by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and contesting under the cylinder symbol, experienced a significant setback in this year’s general election.
Across all districts, every candidate representing the NDF faced defeat, with only three exceptions—Anuradha Jayaratne from Kandy, Rohitha Abeygunawardena from Kalutara, and Chamara Sampath Dassanayake from Badulla—who managed narrow victories. Notably, all three candidates had joined the NDF from other parties before the election.
Chamara Sampath Dassanayake has publicly attributed his success to the support of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) voters, emphasizing that his victory did not stem from traditional NDF support.
In Nuwara Eliya, Jeevan Thondaman, contesting under the elephant symbol, secured a win. However, his success is largely credited to the votes of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress in the plantation sector rather than United National Party (UNP) voters.
A striking outcome of this election was the complete absence of UNP victories, mirroring the results of the previous general election. All four candidates who secured seats under the NDF banner were from other parties.
The party’s deputy leader, Ruwan Wijewardene, contested in Gampaha but failed to win, while Sagala Ratnayake, the UNP’s national organizer and a former senior presidential advisor, faced defeat in Colombo.
These results mark a critical moment for the NDF, highlighting the party’s struggle to regain its footing in the political landscape.
