Skirmish after the big battle

The battle for the high chairs of the body controlling the gentlemen’s game ended leaving the victors in high spirits and the vanquished licking their wounds.

He spurns the assurance from the fair-weather loyalist

“I accepted a Deputyship because I am now placed in a situation which I cannot help. However, Sir, I am prepared to throw in my lot with you at any time.”  

They switch their party allegiance

A group of active followers of a prominent yahapalanaya politician had called on the scion of Boralugoda last week and pledged their support to him.

See-saw up and down …

A new Diyawanna member had, the other day, come to the House along with a band of supporters from his constituency who were keen to listen to their member’s speech from the public gallery.

Enjoying the best of both worlds

A whopping Rs.100 million overdraft had been granted to a powerful accountant by a State bank with Treasury approval during the previous regime.

Only their recommendation carries weight with him

A story much talked about in political circles and the public domain nowadays says there is a strange purohita who provides jobs to only those recommended by two comely ladies.

He attended annual Pinkama, but not as chief patron

The former strongman had been conducting a year-end Pirith Pinkama in Kataragama for years in a row. However, when he recently contacted the relevant authorities in Kataragama in this regard, they had informed him that there was no possibility for him to conduct this event on December 31 night as usual. 

Of the two who is for yahapalanaya?

Thus we have heard: A certain yahapalanaya purohita recently phoned a chairman of a state corporation and requested him to give a promotion to an acolyte of his employed in the corporation.

A Blue senior shares his wisdom with two younger ones

A yahapalanaya purohita from the Betel leaf party was having his lunch when two young deputies approached his table. 

They both want to hog the credit for saving the housemaid

People in this country heaved a collective sigh of relief when they heard that the Saudi authorities had decided, in response to appeals made by our government high ups, to spare the life of the Sri Lankan housemaid who was to be stoned to death.  

Politico who wanted a postponement gets an earful

As the D-Day for the gentlemen’s game drew closer, the contenders from both sides were found engaged in a verbal duel each claiming victory as a certainty. The fact that there were powerful political figures backing both sides contributed in no small measure towards intensifying the heat of the battle. 

The game of musical chairs may not be music to all players

There is widespread speculation in political circles these days that three to four purohitas are due to be moved into new portfolios.

Meddlesome fair member cost him his Ministry”

The controversy over the defeating of the health ministry vote of the Western council continues to reverberate through political circles.

He silenced the match-maker

The former strongman the other day called a certain yahapalanaya purohita who is said to be playing the mediator role to bring about reconciliation between the present and the past heads of the Blue party. 

Seeking political clout to dodge a jail term this time round!

This former Diyawanna member had put up a mansion after obtaining a massive loan from a state bank.

A novel gimmick to advertise new political party!

A group of politicians  busy laying the ground work for launching a new political party have hit upon a novel gimmick to advertise the party: to offer a cash donation to anyone coming forward to have the name of the party tattooed on his or her body!

A fish tank project that smells fishy!

An aquarium has been put up in the Gampaha district at a cost of Rs.11.8 million without following the tender procedure, they say.

She is next in line for purohita status!

A fair Diyawanna member is in for a least expected godsend, they say.

“Amendments have left only the first two words of the Budget!”

A group of Diyawanna members from both the ‘joint opposition’ and the government back benches were having a friendly exchange in the lobby soon after the adoption of the 2016 Budget.

Family gets quit notice from the yahapalanaya they supported

The family of the onetime vociferous politico, who was slain in an election-related street shoot-out several years ago, had been living in a government-allotted apartment at the Summit Flats in Colombo 7.

A distraction to curtail fire from Red politico

The Front-liners ever on the lookout for an excuse to make a noise to prove their nuisance value have grabbed the issue over the remanding of their elusive leader as a godsend. 

Back in his element, he plans to fly high again!

This one time confidant of the former royal family who by his questionable conduct contributed a generous share towards the downfall of their regime – believe it or not – has now become the blue-eyed boy of the yahapalanaya as well.

Office aide tames the belligerent bigwig

As the battle over the key chairs of the gentlemen’s game grows in unprecedented intensity, certain interested parties have begun resorting to fisticuffs to vent their animosity, reports say. 

How they defeated the Ministry vote

A number of ruling party bigwigs of the Western Council were seen lazing around outside the council building at the time the Health Ministry’s head of expenditure was taken up for the vote. 

Star willow wielder, a runner for city chair?

The big chair of the city is about to fall vacant and the battle for it has already begun.

She runs away to fight another day

This is an interesting episode that has not gone on record so far: Vote taking at the third reading of the 2016 Budget was underway. 

He got egg on his face!

A powerful purohita in the yahapalanaya gave the Diyawanna backbenchers a pep talk recently.

It was tit for tat!

The news that a sporty off spring of a former VVIP was admitted to a private nursing home after being beaten, made a sensation even in political circles last week.

She is his medium!

He is a local politico raised to purohita status of a provincial council quite recently. But he has already incurred the wrath of the council members by issuing an instruction which they had found both strange and puzzling:

She benefits from both legal and extra-legal relationships!

This raging affair of the ex-wife of a senior politico from the South with a young one of the same tribe from the same part of the country is the main topic among the gossipy ones in political circles these days.