In a groundbreaking achievement, Vijitha Herath, the Gampaha District Team Leader of the National People’s Power (NPP), has made history by securing an astonishing 716,715 preference votes during the 2024 General Election. This remarkable feat not only marks the highest number of preferential votes ever received by a candidate in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary history but also breaks the record set earlier the same day by NPP’s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who garnered 655,289 votes in the Colombo District.
Herath’s achievement surpasses the previous record held by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who received 527,364 votes in the 2020 elections. The results released on the evening of the 15th confirmed Herath’s unprecedented total, solidifying his place in Sri Lanka’s electoral history.
The NPP performed exceptionally well in the Gampaha District, winning 16 seats, while the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) captured only 3 seats. Other notable candidates from NPP included Anil Jayantha and Mahinda Jayasinghe, who also secured significant vote totals, contributing to the party’s strong performance in this election.
