President Maithripala Sirisena said the majority of SLPP MPs pleaded him not to save their MP seats after the botched dissolution of Parliament in November, last year.

Launching a scathing attack on SLPP MPs undermining the SLFP, Sirisena said he dissolved Parliament following requests from members of the Rajapaksa group.

"A day after I dissolved Parliament, they obtained membership with the SLPP. After they landed in trouble, they crawled back to me pleading not to unseat them from Parliament. Even Mahinda came to me and asked ' Sir, what do we do now;" Sirisena said, addressing an SLFP meeting in Ratnapura yesterday. Although there was confusion initially as to who President Sirisena referred to as 'Mahinda', his supporters later clarified that it was UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera.

"Then, I discussed the matter with seniors of my party including Nimal Siripala, Duminda Dissanayake and Mahinda Amaraweera. We decided to bail them out as we considered them SLFPers. Accordingly, UPFA General Secretary Amaraweera sent a letter to the Speaker confirming that they did not relinquish SLFP membership," Sirisena added.

"I know that the leaders of SLPP have a sense of gratitude. I also know that ordinary members of the SLPP also remain grateful to us as they were previously affiliated with us. But, I am sad to say that the second tier of the SLPP is utterly ungrateful," the President said, specifically blaming a "fellow from Kandy."

Sirisena added that multiple studies had made it clear that none of the presidential candidates currently in the fray could obtain more than 40% of total votes.

"Both parties, I must say, are ready to negotiate with the SLFP. But I don't want to engage with the UNP as we have irreconcilable differences," he added.