Landslide for ruling alliance in Lanka provincial poll: survey

Three of the island's nine provinces, north central, south western and east are going to polls to elect councils for a five-year term.

"Overall, the UPFA should poll 59 per cent of the vote according to our survey results", state-run radio Lakhanda quoted the author of the survey as saying.

"The UNP (the main opposition) would get 15 per cent, Tamil National Alliance 10 per cent and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 8 per cent," the survey said.

It said President Mahinda Rajapaksa enjoyed an approval rating of over 69 per cent.

Rajapaksa called snap elections to win public approval of his development agenda and to answer his international critics of his campaign against the LTTE's separatist intent.