Tamil nationalist parties surge in local polls as NPP loses votes in North-East

^{2025 local government election map by district.}

The final results from Sri Lanka’s 2025 local government elections revealed a significant shift in voter sentiment across the Tamil homeland, with the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) coalition losing ground and Tamil nationalist parties making a more decisive comeback.

The elections, which saw voters elect hundreds of representatives to local authorities across the North-East, reflected the erosion of the early enthusiasm that catapulted the NPP to power in 2024 among Tamil constituencies. In its place, traditional Tamil parties - especially the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) - have seen a resurgence.

NPP support collapses in Jaffna

Nowhere was the decline in NPP support more visible than in Jaffna, where in 2024, the party had recorded a surprising victory, topping the polls with nearly 25% of the vote. Just a year later, in the 2025 local polls, the NPP vote share in the district plummeted to 20.45%, a drop of almost 5 percentage points, and almost 25,000 votes in total.

In contrast, ITAK climbed from 19.47% in 2024 to 31.95% in 2025. The All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) also nearly doubled its vote share, rising from 8.6% to 18.44%, reflecting a broader swing back to explicitly Tamil nationalist platforms.

Batticaloa and Trincomalee reflect similar trends

In Batticaloa, ITAK held onto its lead, recording 32.25% in 2025, down slightly from 33.78% in 2024 but still significantly ahead of other parties. The NPP, which had polled 19.33% in 2024, slipped to 18.62% this year. While the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and other Muslim parties retained influence, Tamil parties managed to consolidate further among Tamil-speaking voters.

In Trincomalee, the swing was even starker. The NPP dropped from a dominant 42.48% in 2024 to just 24.34% in 2025. Meanwhile, ITAK held relatively steady at 14.53%, with other Tamil and Muslim parties filling the gap left by the NPP’s retreat.

Vanni voters shift away from NPP

The three districts that comprise the Vanni electoral district – made up of the Mannar, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya polling divisions - when combined for comparison, show the NPP’s limited ability to hold onto its 2024 gains.

In 2024, the NPP led the region with 20.37% of the vote. However, when the 2025 local government results for the three districts are combined, the NPP's total vote share rises only marginally to 22.17%, but ITAK overtakes it with a commanding 23.71%. The Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) and the Sri Lanka Labour Party (SLFP) also made notable inroads, while SJB maintained a minor but steady presence.

This data reveals that even in areas where the NPP once led, it now trails behind Tamil nationalist parties.

Another fall in Amparai

In Amparai, the NPP remained the largest party with 29.24%, though this was a steep fall from its 40.32% share in 2024. Tamil and Muslim parties, including ITAK and the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), made slight gains, while independent and minor party support grew, reflecting an increasingly fragmented political landscape in the district.

Resurgence of traditional Tamil nationalism

The results across the North-East reflect a broader disillusionment with the NPP, particularly among Tamil voters who feel the government has failed to deliver on promises of justice, accountability, and devolution.

Instead, voters appear to have returned to Tamil nationalist parties that centre the Tamil people’s political aspirations. ITAK’s commanding performances in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Batticaloa, along with strong results in Vanni, are indicative of a wider shift.
Notably, several independent groups also performed well, highlighting the persistence of local dynamics and grassroots mobilization.

The local government elections may not alter parliamentary power, but they serve as a bellwether of Tamil political sentiment.