NEW DELHI, March 11 (KUNA) -- A new Tamil political party Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) has won maximum seats in the local body elections in the Tamil-majority Batticaloa district in Eastern Sri Lanka.
The TMVP founded by breakaway Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commander Karuna in 2004, won all the nine local bodies and the Batticaloa town municipal council, elections for which held yesterday, news agency Indo Asian News Service reported Tuesday.
Of the total votes cast, the TMVP got over 70 percent, the news agency said, quoting Batticaloa district Assistant Election Commissioner T Krishnananthalingam.
There were 831 candidates for 101 posts in the elections. The TMVP and Sri Lanka's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance had jointly contested the the Batticaloa town municipal council. The local body elections had assumed importance since LTTE lost control of the Tamil areas of Batticaloa district last year. (end) dr.bz.
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