The discussions between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on forming a common alliance have ended in a positive manner, political sources said. 

The second round of discussions between the two parties took place today at the Opposition Leader's Office, Colombo 07. 

Speaking to the media, SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera said the two parties reached several agreements at the meeting today. 

The third round of discussions is expected to be held on April 10. 

However, relations between the SLPP and the UPFA strained when the UPFA MP group supporting President Maithripala Sirisena abstained from voting at the second reading of the budget. 

The SLPP lamented the UPFA's decision to abstain denied them the opportunity to defeat the budget in Parliament. 

In the wake of this development, the SLPP indicated that it had decided to field former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the party's Presidential candidate. 

This irked senior members of the UPFA including party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera and Duminda Dissanayake who maintained that Sirisena would be the UPFA's only choice for presidential candidacy.