In a political development reshaping the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), Minister KD Lal Kantha announced that the National People’s Power (NPP) has unofficially secured control of the council. All that remains, he said, is the formal announcement. With support streaming in from several quarters including the party of Prabha Ganesan, brother of veteran politician Mano Ganesan the NPP appears poised to officially assume power in Sri Lanka’s most high-profile local government body.
Addressing the media following a public ceremony, Minister Lal Kantha defended the NPP’s moves to form power through negotiations, despite not having won an outright majority. “There is nothing wrong with the party that won the most seats reaching out to others to build a governing coalition,” he explained. “Call it a deal if you like what matters is democratic legitimacy.”
He was quick to draw a contrast between the NPP’s approach and what he described as a more troubling trend among defeated groups. “When all the other parties that didn’t come first try to band together just to block the leading party, that starts to look anti-democratic,” he warned.
The real political breakthrough came when the Democratic National Alliance, which contested under the mailbox symbol, declared its support for the NPP. The decision was confirmed by party leader Prabha Ganesan, who revealed that it had been unanimously approved by the party’s executive committee. Ganesan’s endorsement carries weight, given his familial and political background, and signals a key swing in post-election alignments.
In addition, several independent groups have also pledged their support to the NPP, bolstering its numbers and further solidifying its path to governing Colombo.
Minister Lal Kantha confirmed that Vraie Balthazaar has already been named as the next Mayor of Colombo, pending official ratification. Her nomination marks a significant step, not just for the NPP but for the city’s political landscape bringing in a new figure to lead Sri Lanka’s capital in a time of urgent urban reform and civic demand.
As the NPP prepares to formalize its leadership in the council chambers, this moment marks a crucial shift in Colombo politics one that could redefine urban governance in the country’s most watched municipality.
