He had to come down from his pedestal!

A story how Big Vig from the North had to eat humble pie by trying to be too big for his shoes has gone viral in political circles. 

Going down on knees for a different reason!

A gabby Diyawanna member of the JO hailing from Kalutara area the other day called on the chief monk of a Buddhist temple in the area.

He stands pat in yahapalanaya!

The chair of the Diyawanna council hosted the members to the customary year-end banquet recently. Members from both sides of the great divide attended this event. 

“…not so mad to refuse an offer like that!”

A political secret that a learned purohita from Kandy revealed in public the other day created a sensation in political circles.

Greed breeds greed!

This senior purohita big in stature representing a distant area in the country was partying with a select group of friends recently. Somewhat tipsy, he turned emotional and began pouring out his heart to his companions.

Crab meal diplomacy pays dividends!

A VVIP from the land of Malays, who arrived here on an official visit recently checked in to a high-end hotel facing the Galle Face Green for his brief stay.

Humour in the campaign trail!

Two brothers contesting from the two main political parties for the same ward at the upcoming local government polls have become a source of much amusement to their voters, they say.

Caught with goods on!

A leading politico has been caught red-handed while distributing gift parcels to his constituents targeting the upcoming polls. 

“Repairing security scanner is a waste of funds!”

A security scanning machine of a government secretariat that went out of order some time ago is lying idle as no action has been taken to effect the necessary repairs.

Offer of high post is a reciprocal gesture!

Appointing an already convicted-white collar high-up to a very high office in the public sector raised many an eye brow in political circles and the public domain recently. 

Vendors back on pavements for Christmas sales!

There are two government politicos racing each other in allocating pavement space in a main city to vendors for them to make a fast buck from the Christmas sales.

Buying a solution with a bonus

A Diyawanna member from the gem-rich area the other day called on a yahapalanaya purohita hailing from the same area to strike a deal to get over a big problem he was facing.

Seeking divine blessings is an uphill task

There is a leading politico in the upcountry estate sector who makes frequent visits to Kovils dedicated to the pantheon in the neighbouring country. His latest pilgrimage was to Lord Ayyappan Kovil at Sabrimale in Kerala. 

He has begun getting the cold shoulder

An electorate level Bala Mandala meeting of the Green party was held at the party’s Maha Gedara the other day. The meeting had been summoned by the doctor looking after the electorate where the Maha Gedara too was situated.

Sleep-dispelling ‘toffee’ for snoozing politicos

There are several top team members in the Diyawanna council, who regularly slip into a soothing slumber when the sittings are on, they say. 

Ideal new grist to the anti-yahapalanaya mill

The JO made much political capital out of the CB bond affair fiasco. And now that the issue was spent and stale, they were looking for something good enough to use against the government when Long Jay from Wattala did them a great favour. And it was the ideal stuff for any opposition in the run-up to an election in particular.

An echo of failed talks down the corridor

A rumour that went viral in the recent past said that the political scion from Giruwapattu and the JO stalwart from the Gampaha political and willow wielding family were responsible for scuttling the efforts to unify the two factions of the Blue party. 

Hospital serving them as second home

This politico spent a vacation in a state-run lodge recently.

Grog-making venture gets the legal nod

There was a hue and cry from the civil society and religious dignitaries in the recent past against the setting up of a grog-making project in the East. A calm ensued following the storm of protests, and it was generally presumed that the project had been dropped. 

Quarrying goes on regardless

Quarrying activity being carried out in a populated area not very far from the city has caused not only much environmental damage but also has posed a serious health hazard to the residents in the locality.

Irate woman party-member calls his bluff

A senior purohita from the central hills, who once got into hot water because of his wagging tongue, had recently got a full blast from a woman party-member.

Wife’s craze for sarees saved his face!

A politico at national level had got highly excited over a prediction by an astrologer that a high political office was in the offing for him. 

He feared wagging tongues!

There is a well-known politico who, whenever sees a little child, would take it into his arms and coddle it.

Interdicted nearly three years ago; inquiry is still pending!

This fair white collar who held a top post in a main city was interdicted nearly three years ago to satisfy the whim of a politico.

A back seat because of the company he keeps!

A local politico who attended an opening of a building was looking for a seat in the front row when an organizer showed him a seat far behind. “Sir, this is the seat reserved for you”, the organizer had told him pointing to the seat.

Does not want to quit with no alternative in sight!

A prominent purohita from Wayamba has reportedly said at a bash the other day that he was thoroughly disillusioned with the yahapalanaya, but continued to remain in it as he had no other alternative.

He is to emerge from oblivion!

There are indications that a former purohita reduced to a backbencher is to get a portfolio again, they say.

All his whiskey gone down the drain

A Blue purohita who had vowed to team up with the JO group has, in a surprise move, decided to stick with yahapalanaya, they say. 

Haggling over nominations!

Sparks flew at the Green party’s Colombo district nominations selection committee which met the other day when the Tree party bigwigs insisted on being given a lion’s share on the city list. The Tree party leaders had argued that the Muslim vote being the decisive factor given the large concentration of Muslims in the city their party deserved more candidates on the joint list. 

Plan to discipline misbehaving members

A move designed to discourage the unbecoming behaviour on the part of some members of the august assembly is said to be now underway.