Paper short abstract:

In this paper, I discuss the impact of the transformation of JVP into National People’s Power (NPP) on latter's electoral success in the aftermath of 2022 Aragalaya in Sri Lanka and argue it is an example for the rising left populism in South Asia.

Paper long abstract:

2022 Aragalaya (popular uprising) is the most intense expression of popular frustration with the failure of representative democracy in Sri Lanka, which forced then President to step down. Aragalaya compounded of people’s frustrations and anger towards the corrupted political establishment paving the way for an alternative political force to capture the state power. This was culminated in 2024 presidential and parliament election victories of the National People’s Power (NPP) – a coalition of left-leaning political parties and civil society organizations led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), with a significant rise in popular support for the NPP from around 3% votes (3 seats in the parliament) in 2020 to around 61% votes (159 seats) in 2024.

Based on secondary data and literature, in this paper, I discuss the impact of the transformation of JVP into NPP vis-a-vis capture of state power. I argue that the metamorphosis of the JVP as a centralized Marxist-Leninist party into a more populist, center-left political movement in the form of NPP was a crucial factor, among many, in the electoral victories of NPP. In doing so, I suggest NPP’s electoral victory as a successful example of the “left populism” (Mouffe 2018) in South Asia.