Sri Lanka General Elections 2020 | Rajapaksas’ party poised for big win

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s chances for a two-thirds majority, however, remains unclear.

Security personnel stands guard outside an election counting center in Colombo on August 6, a day after Sri Lanka's parliamentary election.

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP or People’s Party) is poised for a landslide win in the August 5 parliamentary elections, going by results declared until Thursday evening.

As per the count at 8.30 p.m., the SLPP secured over 60% of the votes. Its chances for a two-thirds majority remains unclear, but Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed confidence that they would touch the figure in Parliament, if not in the polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to call Mr. Rajapaksa, even as his party’s huge mandate became evident. “Thank you PM @narendramodi for your congratulatory phone call. With the strong support of the people of #SriLanka, I look forward to working with you closely to further enhance the long-standing cooperation between our two countries. ,” Mr. Rajapaksa said in a tweet.