A fleet of Defender jeeps was parked outside the Horagolla residence of CBK this morning - barely 16 hours the third reading vote of the budgets which was passed in the Parliament with a resounding of majority of 95 votes.

Despite widespread speculations, no ruling party MP crossed the well of the Parliament yesterday, before or after the vote, dampening the hopes of the opposition - to a certain extent.

However, the fleet of vehicles which surrounded CBK's Horagolla residence boosted the feel good factor of the opposition MPs who were somewhat disheartened yesterday with the result of the third reading vote.

It does not require a lot of wisdom to realize that most of the opposition MPs do not have Defenders at their disposal. Ministers and Government MPs do not come with their back-up defenders to sit for "under-the-radar" chit-chats with certain ladies. So the Defender jeeps were only suggestive of one group who still haven't started making news in the mainstream media.

They were none other than the 'Provincial Councilors' of the ruling party who are usually known as heavy users of Defender Jeeps.

This also comes in a context where Western, Uva, Central and probably Southern Provincial Councils have budgets in the next two weeks. Of the four Provincial Councils, the most vulnerable one is not too far away from the Horagolla residence of the former President.