Harin Fernando‘s phenomenal success in Uva has impressed UNP members and supporters into proposing his name for the Deputy Leadership position of the party instead of Sajith Premadasa, Colombo Telegraph reliably learns.

The record breaking number of preferential votes secured by Harin in Uva, which is traditionally a UPFA stronghold has earned him the praise of many and Colombo Telegraph learns that his name is due to be proposed for the Deputy Leadership position at the Working Committee meeting that is scheduled for Tuesday.

The decision to propose Harin’s name instead of Sajith has also been prompted as a result of Sajith’s attempts to sabotage the election campaign together with Raja Mahendran and Tiran Alles, were revealed.

Harin’s success in Uva meanwhile, was further proof of the major setback suffered by the UPFA at the Uva provincial polls that ended yesterday. He bagged the highest number of preferential votes – a total of 173,993 from the Badulla district in comparison to the 96,619 secured by UPFA candidate Shashindra Rajapaksa in the Moneragala district.

In comparison to the previous election, Shashindra’s voter base has depleted sharply this time as opposed to the 136,697 preferential votes he secured last time.

Despite securing a lead at the Uva provincial council polls, the overall results of the Uva PC polls proved disappointing for the UPFA particularly in areas where the party maintained a stronghold.

The final result of the Badulla district placed the UPFA in the lead with 209,056 votes (47.37%) that has won nine seats for the party. This however is a sharp decline in comparison to the 2009 provincial polls where the UPFA won a total of 259,069 votes, which marked a 67.79% bagging them 14 seats in the district.

The UNP however seems to have improved their stand in the Badulla district with 197,708 votes, which is a 44.79% that has secured eight seats for the party- quite outstanding in comparison to their performance in the province in 2009 where they managed to obtain only 98,635 votes which was a 25.81% that secured mere five seats.

The final result of the Moneragala district where the highest number of election related violence was reported from, the UPFA has still recorded a drop in people’s support in comparison to 2009 where 159, 837 votes (81.2%) were obtained in comparison to the 140, 850 (58.34%) voters bagged yesterday.

Accordingly, the UPFA has secured eight seats while the UNP has secured five in the Moneragala district.

Newly appointed leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake‘ JVP has bagged two seats with 36,580 votes in total while the Sarath Fonseka‘s Democratc Front failed to secure any seats despite expectations of a better performance. Meanwhile, despite Wimal Weerawansa‘s National Freedom Front contesting from the Badulla district seperately, they had failed to bag votes enough to secure any seats. 

The voter turnout for the Uva polls was a 60% and was held in 834 polling stations in Badulla and Moneragala. Despite the widespread violence during the campaigning period, in the Moneragala district the voter turn out was 70%.

Election monitoring body, the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) stated that about 103 incidents were reported to them out of which 34 have been confirmed, to which includes 17 from Badulla and Moneragala districts each.

They noted that 12 acts of election related violence were reported yesterday to which included three incidents of firearms use in the areas of Viyaluwa, Haputale and Bandarawela by supporters of the ruling party in attempts to instill fear among voters.  Six persons had been injured during the clashes and have been hospitalised.

CaFFE also stated that ruling party supporters were also engaged in rallies including travelling in motorcades and arriving and election centers, attempting to influence voters.