The former Number One is said to be busy electioneering on his home turf these days. 

He is on a whistle-stop campaign, saying howdy to people in their homes and market places and also addressing pocket-meetings in small villages.

However, his main political acolyte Jaye is conspicuous by his absence on his whistle-stop rounds, they say. 

While looking for the acolyte, the former Number One had met him by accident, the other day. While engaged in small talk, he had suddenly questioned the acolyte about a grouse he was holding against him.

“On the propaganda cutouts you erected for the last big poll, you had made it a point to carry the pictures of the Pohottuwa leader and those of the other two Rajapaksas. But why was my picture missing from those cutouts?”

The acolyte had a ready answer to this question: “Sir, how could I have displayed your picture on those cutouts when you had already proclaimed your neutrality? You vowed that you wouldn’t go near an election stage!”

The reply stumped the mentor and he dismissed the acolyte saying, “I got my hands full. You had better go your way!”