With no ruling party MP crossing over during the third reading vote of the budget, questions have now been raised whether the 'crossover' strategy adopted by common candidate Maithripala Sirisena and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kunaratunga has backfired.

From the outset, the former President assured the main opposition party that SLFP MPs will crossover and join the opposition "in installments."

However, most of the ruling party MPs who earlier promised to crossover to the opposition are now showing a reluctance  of some sort, highly placed sources of the opposition told Asian Mirror.

It has now come to the limelight they have been informed by the top ruling leaders of the government that the President has powers to dissolve the Parliament in the face of such an event. If the President dissolves the Parliament, the MPs who represent the legislature for the first time will not be entitled to their salaries. This has raised serious concerns among the ruling party MPs who were previously contemplating a crossover.

However, speaking to Asian Mirror, a senior Parliamentarian of the opposition said, "the day is still young"! He said the disillusioned ruling party MPs were still in talks with the opposition and they would make the right move at the right.

But, the opposition Parliamentarian did not disclose the number of ruling party MPs who are presently conducting " clandestine' talks with the opposition. Asian Mirror can now reveal that the present number stands at five - much below the expectations of the common opposition.

Another ruling party Parliamentarian talked under strict conditions of anonymity told Asian Mirror that it was a repetition of the unsuccessful impeachment against the late Ranasinghe Premadasa. "Although many Parliamentarians of the ruling party expressed willingness for the impeachment in the first place, they slowly stepped aside when the Executive exerted pressure on them. This is the same situation," he added.

Meanwhile, while speaking at a television talk show on TNL, former Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the 'crossover' plans are still afoot and a number of ruling party MPs will join the opposition in the coming weeks "if they have a conscience,"