Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leftist coalition won a thumping victory in a snap general election, gaining power to push through his plans to fight poverty and graft in the island nation recovering from a financial meltdown.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968, in Thambuththegama, Sri Lanka, into a working-class family. His father was a labourer, and his mother a housewife. Mr Dissanayake was involved in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party during his school years and was the first student from the college chosen for admission into the university.

Sri Lanka began counting votes cast on Thursday in a snap general election that will decide if the Indian Ocean island nation will give its new leftist president greater legislative power to help the poor as it recovers from a financial meltdown.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of Sri Lanka’s leftist coalition, the National People's Power (NPP), has emerged victorious in th..|News Track

Sri Lanka's National People's Power, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, achieved a remarkable victory with a two-thirds majority in parliamentary elections. The party won 159 out of 225 seats,

Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power Party won at least 123 of the 225 seats in parliament, according to partial results released by the Elections Commission.

Left-leaning coalition, the National People's Power (NPP) of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, achieved a sweeping victory.

According to the Election Commission results, Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power Party has won at least 123 of the 225 seats in Parliament.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's sweeping coalition election win this week underlined widening support for his leftist policies, but he faces the test of steering the nation's recovery from a financial crisis with an inexperienced set of lawmakers.