COLOMBO - The main ruling party People's National Congress (PNC) has won a majority in the Maldives' parliamentary election held on Sunday, local media reported.

President Mohamed Muizzu's PNC had won 50 out of the 93 seats by 8:00 pm local time, according to the report. 

PNC is expected to win at least 62 of the 93 parliamentary seats, according to the local media, while the main opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) is projected to take 15 seats.

ALSO READ: Voting begins in Maldives parliamentary election

The PNC managed to grab key seats in former MDP strongholds including in the capital Male, Addu City and Kulhudhuffushi City in the north.

The Democrats, founded by former president Mohamed Nasheed after splitting with MDP in 2023, lost all seats the party contested while former president Abdulla Yameen's new party also lost all the seats it contested, according to provisional results and media projections.

READ MORE: Maldives hold presidential election

Voters had to choose 93 members of parliament from 368 candidates for the next five years. Voter turnout was 72.9 percent, the Maldives Elections Commission said, lower than the 82 percent that voted in 2019.

With Reuters inputs