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This Diyawanna member was once a bigwig in the Green party. Perhaps staking his political career on the royal astrologer’s prediction, he switched his allegiance to the deposed Big Boss on the eve of the big poll.

 He was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister and soon became the star speaker at the new Boss’ election rallies. 

He succeeded causing much damage to the Green party he quit and the campaign of the Compassionate One by publicly charging that the latter had entered into a secret pact with the Green leader which was highly prejudicial to the national interests. At election propaganda rallies held across the country, he held out to the gaze of the people the purported secret agreement claiming it carried the signatures of the two parties to the deal. 

When the ‘horse’ he backed lost the race, the Diyawanna member found himself high and dry. What was worse he had to face prosecution for committing forgery. Highly desperate, the Diyawanna member sent message after message to the Green leader begging him to forgive him and allow him to return to the party fold. He received a belated reply. It said: “Give up your national list seat immediately and contest at the upcoming election to re-enter the Diyawanna council.”

The reply he received was one that he least expected. The poor man, out on a limb was mulling his next move, when he was hauled before courts and was sent to the Welikada lodge as a guest of the state.  However, an assurance given by an erstwhile colleague who visited him the other day has buoyed up his spirits, they say.