Talks are under way to unite Sajith Premadasa with Ranil Wickremesinghe in order for them to contest the presidential polls together and to form a government, said reliable government sources.
The discussions come after an evaluation by both sides that neither stands to profit if they go their own ways.
Premadasa gave his consent at the last moment with other top figures of the SJB standing firm in that regard.
He relented only after they strongly hinted that they would be forced to support Wickremesinghe in his campaign.
The talks aim to agree on Wickremesinghe as the presidential candidate and Premadasa as the candidate for the premiership.
However, they are yet to meet face-to-face.
Political analysts say the end result will either be their union or a breaking up of the SJB.
