Voting began this morning in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections, with polling stations opening across the country.

More than 8,000 candidates are contesting the election, with more than 17 million eligible voters taking part.

Sri Lanka’s parliament has 225 seats, with 113 seats needed to form a majority government.

The election is seen as crucial for both President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power Party (NPP) and his political rivals.

Polls are expected to close on Thursday afternoon.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won Sri Lanka’s presidential election last September with 42.3 per cent of the vote, ahead of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who came second with 32.76 per cent, while outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe came third with 17.27 per cent.