Former Northern Provincial Council member M.K Shivajilingam has been put forward to contest
in the upcoming Presidential election by the founder of the 'Pohottuwa' party Basil Rajapaksa, reliable sources told theleader.lk
According to the sources, Basil Rajapaksa has tasked Shivajilingam with attacking Gotabaya Rajapaksa during election rallies in order to infuriate the Sinhala masses and attract their votes to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Basil is said to have estimated that Shivajilingam will obtain around 50,000 votes and appointed a former JVP MP, Siripala Amarasinghe, to coordinate with Shivajilingam.
Basil Rajapaksa’s coordinator of the North and Eastern provinces, Siripala Amarasinghe has also been put forward as a dummy candidate by the SLPP.
Sources say during the 2005 Presidential election, it was Basil that orchestrated an election boycott to favour his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa.
