A confidence that won a gift!

The former strongman the other day attended a religious ceremony at a Buddhist temple in a remote corner of the country and a few days after his return to Colombo he received a telephone call from the chief incumbent of that temple.

Going easy on some and hard on others!

An edict issued by a khakied top brass to his subordinates in a key division had left them flabbergasted, they say.

Gangster was his buddy!

There is a prominent politico at the national level, who has gone livid over the recent incident where a leading underworld figure had to die at the hands of the law enforcing ones.

Didn’t come down from his ivory tower!

A group of local politicos in a certain part of the backwoods were highly elated on hearing that a very high political authority was due to attend a religious ceremony at the village temple for they were keen on apprising him of the pressing needs of the area for early necessary action. The high political authority did arrive for the religious ceremony held with much fanfare, but the group of politicos waiting to meet him were not allowed to go n

He gagged them on time!

The top two political authorities handling the country’s law and order have decided to hold a pow-wow with servicemen concerned about the security situation in a certain province and a star- sporting high-up has already exhorted his subordinates not to bring up any issue at the proposed confab without discussing it first with him.

Historic banian tree faces the axe!

A top white-collar one serving in a district known for an elephant-shaped rock is planning to cut down a centuries-old landmark banian tree towering over a sensitive environment saying that snakes have made it their home and these snakes have a become a threat to him and his family as they are often seen slithering around his official residence.

A vainglorious gimmick?

This important public institution in a province was shifted to a posh new building complex and a grand ceremony was organized to mark the event, they say.

A billionaire, a product of political patronage!

This metal quarry owned by a buddy of a high political authority is said to be one of the biggest quarries in Asia.

Hogging out of sheer greed!

There is a purohita at State level, who has got five official vehicles assigned to his private staff, at the ready for his personal use in addition to his own official limousines, they say.

Yet another reshuffle!

According to a story that has come down the grapevine quite recently, yet another reshuffle of the big pack is around the corner.

They say ‘no’ to the tax in one voice!

The latest news that there is a move to bring the village level organizations like Death Donation Societies under the VAT regime has raised the hackles of the Green party backbenchers, they say. Sparks flew at the recent Green party’s Diyawanna group meeting when this issue was brought up by the irate backbenchers.

Swapping political aspirations!

A long-standing loyalist of the former Madam, this Diyawanna politico at state level from Gampaha is widely considered a Blue party stalwart in the district.

Two of them burn bridges behind them!

Reports say that Esbee from the central hills and Deeje from Wayamba have now quit the Group 16 for good and marched back to the fold to throw their weight behind the Compassionate One. 

Up in arms against truant bigwigs!

There is a steep drop in the attendance of purohitas at the Green party’s Diyawanna group meeting these days, they say.

It was a ruse to hold back the upsurge!

While the uproar over Kala madam’s controversial statement was raging drowning all other issues in the country, a news story in a section of the Press that the Green boss had asked Number One to relieve the lady of her portfolio made headlines. 

They all shy away from passive smoking!

A former deputy was languishing at home following his defeat at the polls when he was offered the chair of a state undertaking involved in trade.

He escaped through the backdoor!

At long last, the Group 16 formally joined forces with the JO group! It was a long-looked -for happy event for some of them. The former strongman visibly in high spirits made it a point to express his pleasure at the presence of his loyalist from the Gampaha political family too on the occasion.

He has a title, but no address!

There is a State purohita left high and dry sans an office or a staff since his appointment to this high office three months ago.

He made a killing from the office shift!

A provincial political high-up has spent a record Rs. 3.3 million on the haulage of part of his files and furniture to his new office located only 10 km away. 

Sand mining permits as rewards!

A powerful politico recently carried out a successful underhand operation to take a local body ousting the majority group elected from a newly formed political party.

This home is no home for them!

This guy is a sidekick of a prominent purohita from the South. He is the warden of a rehabilitation home for the differently-abled children.  But he is said to be spending most of his time running the errands of his political master neglecting his helpless charges, they say.

A booklet to slander ‘the Master Brain’

A certain group with ties to the JO has produced a booklet in Sinhala titled ‘Maha Molakaru’ (The Master Brain) about a bigwig in Pohottuwa, they say.

Checkmated by an unseen hand

It is now part of history that the Pohottuwa party had to field a proxy independent group at the election to a local body not very far from the metropolis when their official nomination list was rejected. 

He had let down his own employees

This Diyawanna member from the main alliance of the North is a leading businessman as well. 

Is he being iced out?

The need had arisen for the country’s law enforcement chief the other day to hand over an important dossier to Number One.  This was soon after his getting a shelling from Number One for some cranky affair of his. 

Mending fences ahead of the big event

The Pohottuwa stalwart from the Gampaha political family, known to be an active member of the B-faction of the party had a one-on-one closed-door meeting with the sibling G of the R-family, they say.

Looking for candidate beyond their own leader

Who should be our party horse at the coming big poll race?

Turning their guns on villain of the piece

A big gun in the Green party has now become the target of the growing anger of the party’s unhappy backbencher-rebels.

Dopers and drug traffickers are his supporters

A powerful politico ruling the roost in an area hallowed by the Buddha’s visit has become a guardian angel of dope-fiends and dope peddlers there, they say.

Sudden fortune sets tongues wagging

It is heard through the grapevine these days that the private secretary of a prominent purohita who often mentions living beings other than humans, had suddenly become rich enough to buy a posh mansion in the city outskirts for a whopping Rs.250 million.