Asian Mirror can now reveal that a "spy" operating in the inner circle of the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has sabotaged the crossover plans of over 20 ruling party MPs, soon after former SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena's exit from the government. 

We are now in a position to reveal that the list of SLFP defectors which was given to UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was LEAKED to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the eleventh hour. 

The President, following this development, had personally contacted each and every ruling party MP whose name was on that list to assure that he would look into their grievances. 

Almost all the SLFP defectors, when contacted by the President, had pledged to support him at the forthcoming presidential election. 

The matter was discussed at length at an inner circle meeting of the United National Party yesterday evening. However, the party leadership is yet to find out the person who leaked the list of defectors to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

"We are still investigating into the matter. Maybe the so called spy is operating not under the nose of the opposition leader, but in the backyard of the former President. But, we have to investigate!" A UNP strongman told Asian Mirror yesterday, following the meeting. 

The common opposition expected that at least five UPFA MPs would extend their support to the common opposition soon after the third reading vote of the Budget 2015. Much to the surprise of the opposition, only Minister Sumedha Jayasena was absent when the third reading vote of the budget.

However, Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena and former Minister Rajitha Senaratne still express confidence that several MPs of the ruling party would cross over to the opposition at the right time. "No need to act hastily. They will come at the right time," Sirisena told reporters in Horagolla yesterday referring to the Sinhala proverb 'hoda hoda sellam eliwena jameyta"