The common opposition is now compelled to “reduce” the role of the former big lady in Maithripala’s presidential campaign as many parties have raised concerns over her inclusion and the manner in which she is positioning herself in the common opposition.

In addition to Champika Ranawaka and the top rung leaders of the JHU, a section of UNP stalwarts too have threatened to stay away from the campaign of the common candidate if the former big lady continues to play a leading role. The JHU’s major concern is not only her recent remark over the “files” of the Rajapaksa family, but also the way she governed the country during her eleven year rule. Her impromptu statement on the files of Mahinda was suggestive of a hate campaign against the Rajapaksa family – something the common opposition, especially the Jathika Hela Urumaya, is trying to avoid!

Earlier she was assigned with the task of drawing the support of ruling party MPs to the presidential campaign of the common opposition. Although she promised to bring nearly 30 MPs of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, it looked as if she lost her track in the middle of her under the radar “mission”.

According the likes of Lakshman Kirirella the ‘Bandaranaike’ surname still possess at least 20 percent of the SLFP votes – which seems to be the sole reason for her “existence” in the campaign. However, with her sudden acts of jumping the gun, she has become a liability to the common opposition’s campaign, rather than an asset.

The UNP Leader and the common candidate of the opposition are now in a place where they have to make a hard decision on the involvement of the big lady. It is still not clear as to how Sirisena-Wickremesinghe duo is going to approach the vexed question of the former big lady which is, in a way, hampering the campaign of the common opposition.