He only listened to them

Some acolytes of a onetime high political authority have begun paying frequent courtesy calls on their former boss, they say.

Several former provincial chiefs have been among these visitors who seem to have taken a sudden interest in their former boss.

Intrigued by these unusual visits, those close to the former high political authority had made discreet inquiries to discover that the visitors had been sharing their concern about the proposed Constitutional Amendment with their former boss.

Meanwhile, it had also come to light that these visitors backing an opposition Balavegaya had been trying to get their former boss to play a major role in a plan aimed at stymieing the passage of the proposed Amendment. 

The former high political authority had given an attentive ear to his acolytes without committing himself. By the way, he is due to get a high office under the present regime, they say.