This article lists political parties in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has a multi-party political system. Starting from the early 1950s, Sri Lankan politics was mostly dominated by two political parties and their respective coalitions: the centre-left social democratic Sri Lanka Freedom Party the centre-right liberal conservative United National Party
Recently, however, the influence of the two parties has diminished significantly. In 2016, the right-wing populist Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna led by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa split from the SLFP, and following an unexpected victory in the 2018 local elections, replaced the SLFP as a main party, before becoming the ruling party following its victories in the 2019 presidential election and 2020 parliamentary election.
Meanwhile, the UNP suffered a split of its own in the lead-up to the 2020 parliamentary election, when deputy leader Sajith Premadasa split from the UNP and formed the Samagi Jana Balawegaya to contest in the election. The SJB-led coalition won the 2nd most seats in the election, thus making the SJB the main opposition party, while the UNP suffered an overwhelming defeat, only winning one national list seat.
Following widespread dissatisfaction with the traditional Sri Lankan political parties amidst the 2022 Sri Lankan protests, in 2024, the left-wing National People's Power, a political alliance led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, saw a surge in popular support. Formerly a third party, the NPP emerged as the main left-wing party of Sri Lanka, winning both the presidential and parliamentary elections that year.
Other notable parties include the Tamil nationalist Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi and the Islamist Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.
Alliances Parliamentary alliances Alliance Electionsymbol Politicalposition Ideology Leader MPs ! MLGs National People's Power Left-wing Anura Kumara Dissanayake | Samagi Jana Balawegaya Centre Sajith Premadasa | New Democratic Front Centre-right Ranil Wickremesinghe | Sarvajana Balaya Centre-leftto far-left Dilith Jayaweera | Democratic Tamil National Alliance Centre-left Tamil nationalism Selvam Adaikalanathan | Tamil National People's Front Centre-left Tamil nationalism Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam
Other alliances Alliance Electionsymbol Politicalposition Ideology Leader MPs ! MLGs Notes Tamil Progressive Allianceදෙමළ ප්රගතිශීලී සන්ධානයதமிழ் முற்போக்கு கூட்டணி Centre-left Mano Ganesan | Allied with the SJB
Parties Parliamentary registered parties
Party Electionsymbol Politicalposition Ideology Leader MPs ! MLGs National People's Power (NPP) Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Left-wingto far-left Anura Kumara Dissanayake | Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Samagi Jana Balawegaya Centre Sajith Premadasa | Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Centre Muslim minority politics Rauff Hakeem | All Ceylon Makkal Congress Centre Muslim minority politics Rishad Bathiudeen | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Dayasiri wing)Centre-leftDayasiri Jayasekara| Democratic People's Front Centre Indian Tamil interests Mano Ganesan | National Union of Workers Centre Indian Tamil interests Palani Thigambaram | Up-Country People's Front Centre Indian Tamil interests V. Radhakrishnan | New Democratic Front (NDF) People's United Freedom Alliance Syncretic Big tent Dinesh Gunawardena | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Nimal wing)Centre-leftNimal Siripala de Silva| United National Party Centre-right Ranil Wickremesinghe | Ceylon Workers' CongressCentreJeevan Thondaman| Sarvajana Balaya (SB) Mawbima Janatha Pakshaya Centre-left Dilith Jayaweera | Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization Syncretic Tamil nationalism Selvam Adaikalanathan | Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) All Ceylon Tamil Congress Centre-left Tamil nationalism Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam | Other parties Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi Centre-left Tamil nationalism S. Shritharan | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Right-wing Mahinda Rajapaksa | Sri Lanka Labour Party Left-wing A. S. P. Liyanage | Independent groups colspan=4
Other registered parties PartyElectionsymbolLeaderMPCsMLGs All Ceylon Tamil Mahasabha K. Vigneswaran Our Power of People's Party Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara New Independent Front M. B. Thaminimulla Arunalu People's Front Eros Democratic Front Eelam People's Democratic Party Douglas Devananda Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front K. PathmanabhaAnnamalai Varadaraja Perumal United Republican Front Champika Ranawaka United National Freedom Front United National Allianceඑක්සත් ජාතික සන්ධානයஐக்கிய தேசிய கூட்டமைப்பு Democratic Unity Alliance Z. A. Naseer Ahamed United Democratic Voice 2024 Ranjan Ramanayake United People's Party United Left Front Jayampathy Wickramaratne United Socialist Party Siritunga Jayasuriya United Peace Alliance People's Struggle Alliance 2024 People's Servants Party People's Welfare Front National Congress A. L. M. Athaullah National People's Party Jathika Nidahas Peramuna Wimal Weerawansa National Democratic Front Aruna de Zoysa National Development Front Dr. Sarath Bandaranayake National Peace Front Tamil People's Alliance C. V. Vigneswaran Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal S. Chandrakanthan Tamil Social Democratic Party Devana Parapura 2022 Uvindu Wijeweera Patriotic People's Power Desha Vimukthi Janatha Pakshaya D. Kalansooriya Tamil United Liberation Front V. Anandasangaree New Democratic Marxist–Leninist Party S. K. Senthivel New Lanka Freedom Party Nava Sama Samaja Party Vikramabahu Karunaratne New Sinhala Heritage Sarath Manamendra Freedom People's Front Nalaka Godahewa Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Udaya Gammanpila Frontline Socialist Party Premakumar Gunaratnam People's Alliance Anura Priyadharshana Yapa Democratic United National Front Ariyawansa Dissanayake Democratic People's Liberation Front D. Siddarthan Democratic National Alliance Democratic Party Sarath Fonseka Democratic Left Front Vasudeva Nanayakkara Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Dinesh Gunawardena United National Front for Good Governance Abdul Rahman Lanka Sama Samaja Party Tissa Vitharana Liberal Democratic Party Kamal Nissanka Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya Asanka Nawaratne Communist Party of Sri Lanka D. E. W. Gunasekera Social Democratic Party of Sri Lanka Rohan Pallewatta Socialist Party of Sri Lanka Samabima Party Socialist Equality Party Sinhaladeepa Jathika Peramuna Eelavar Democratic Front Eliyathamby RatnasabapathyV. BalakumaranShankar Rajee United People's Freedom Alliance United Lanka People's Party United Lanka Mahasabha Nath Amarakone Lanka People's Party Sri Lanka Progressive Front J. A. Peter Nelson Perera Motherland People's Party Harischandra Wijayatunga
Unregistered parties PartyElectionsymbolLeaderAlliance Freedom People's Congress Dullas Alahapperuma SJB Democratic National Front Praba Ganesan DNA Jathika Hela Urumaya Ven.Omalpe Sobhitha Thero SJB Our National Front Upulangani Malagamuwa United Lanka National Front Buddhist People's Front Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) Ceylon Democratic Unity Alliance T. V. Chennan Democratic People's Congress Praba GanesanDTNF Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front Muslim Tamil National Alliance Azath Salley Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna People's Liberation Solidarity Front Kamal Karunadasa People's Tamil Congress L. P. Shanmuganathan Revolutionary Workers Party United Citizens’ Front Tissa Attanayake United National Alternative Front Upcountry National Front Rishi Senthil Raj Green Party of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka National Force Sri Lanka Vanguard Party Progressive Tamil Party Vijaya Dharani National Council Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (Suresh Wing) Suresh Premachandran Ealam Tamil Self Rule Party Ananthi Sasitharan Tamil National Party M. K. ShivajilingamN. Srikantha Democratic Tamil National Frontප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදී දෙමළ ජාතික පෙරමුණமக்களாட்சி தமிழ்த் தேசிய முன்னணி V. Anandasangaree Muslim National Allianceමුස්ලිම් ජාතික සන්ධානයமுஸ்லிம் தேசிய கூட்டமைப்பு
Defunct/dormant Alliances Alliance Politicalposition Ideology Founded Dissolved Notes Left Liberation Frontවාමාංශික විමුක්ති පෙරමුණஇடது விடுதலை முன்னணி Far-left CommunismTrotskyism United Frontසමගි පෙරමුණஐக்கிய முன்னணி Left-wing Big tent People's Allianceපොදු ජන එක්සත් පෙරමුණமக்கள் கூட்டணி Big tent Most members joined the UPFA National Unity Allianceජාතික සමගි සන්ධානයதேசிய ஐக்கியக் கூட்டமைப்பு Centre Muslim minority politics Most members joined the SLFP Tamil National Liberation Allianceදෙමළ ජාතික විමුක්ති සන්ධානයதமிழ் தனிநாடு விடுதலை கூட்டணி Tamil nationalism Members joined the TNA Democratic National Allianceප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදී ජාතික සන්ධානයஜனநாயகக் கட்சி Big tent United National Frontඑක්සත් ජාතික පෙරමුණஐக்கிய தேசிய முன்னணி Centre-right Conservatism Most members joined the SJB United People's Freedom Allianceඑක්සත් ජනතා නිදහස් සන්ධානයஐக்கிய மக்கள் சுதந்திரக் கூட்டணி Centre-left Social democracySinhalese nationalism Most members joined the SLPFA Joint Oppositionඒකාබද්ධ විපක්ෂයகூட்டு எதிர்ப்பு Right-wing Right-wing populismSocial democracySinhalese nationalismAnti-federalismAnti-imperialismPro-Rajapaksa politics Most members joined the SLPFA Socialist Alliance Left-wing to far-left SocialismCommunism Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance Big tent Social democracySinhalese nationalismAnti-federalismAnti-imperialismPro-Rajapaksa politics Many members joined the opposition Freedom People's Alliance Centre-left to far-left Social democracySinhalese nationalismAnti-Rajapaksa politics Supreme Lanka Coalitionඋත්තර ලංකා සභාගයஉத்தர லங்கா சபாகய Left-wing to far-left Left-wing nationalismSinhalese nationalismAnti-Rajapaksa politics2024 Most members joined the SB Tamil People's National Alliance Centre-left Tamil nationalism Tamil National Alliance Centre-left Tamil nationalismFederalismMost members joined the DTNA
Parties Party Electionsymbol Founded Dissolved Leader Notes All Ceylon Islamic United Front M. S. Kariapper All Ceylon Malay Political Union M. P. Drahaman Aziz Democratic Workers Congress Ashraf Aziz Bolshevik Samasamaja Party Absorbed into the Lanka Sama Samaja Party Buddhist Republican Party A. P. de Zoysa Ceylon Labour Party A. Ekanayake Gunasinha Ceylon National Congress Ponnambalam Arunachalam Absorbed into the United National Party Lanka Democratic Party Wijeyananda Dahanayake Absorbed into the Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party Lanka Mahajana Sabha Fredrick Richard Senanayake Absorbed into the United National Party Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Alternative Group) Chandra Kumarage Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Revolutionary) Muslim United Liberation Front National Alliance National Democratic Movement National Democratic Party National Democratic People's Alliance National Liberation Front K. M. P. Rajaratne Absorbed into the United National Party New Democratic Party New National Front People's Front of Liberation Tigers 2011 Mahattaya Political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Sinhala Heritage Absorbed into the Jathika Hela Urumaya Sinhala Maha Sabha S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Absorbed into the United National Party Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party C. P. de Silva Absorbed into the United National Party Sri Lanka National Congress Absorbed into the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Sama Samaja Party Anil Moonesinghe Absorbed into the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Swaraj Party United Lanka Congress United Muslim People's Alliance United National Alliance Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party Philip Gunawardena Absorbed into the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
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