Speculation is rife that the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremasighe is sheduled to endorse President’s Counsel Tirantha Walaliyadda at the upcoming Bar Association elections for the post of President.

The elections were sheduled after UNP MP Wijedasa Rajapakshe decided not to contest for a second term as President of the BASL when his term ends in March.

It is reported that three contestants have stepped up for the post of President of the BASL namely, PC Tirantha Walaliyadda, R.R.S. Thangaraja and Upul Jayasuriya. The election scheduled to be held on February 20 is most likely to be a toss-up between Walaliyadda and Jayasuriya.

Political sources told Ada Derana that despite the fact that Upul Jayasuriya held a pro-UNP stance Opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has recently met Walaliyadda apparently throwing his weight behind him for the upcoming election. Sources claimed that a decisive meeting on this regard took place between Wickremasinghe and Walaliyadda recently. It is claimed that the political landscape of the country and the future of the BASL was discussed at length during the meeting.

However Ranil Wickremasinghe is yet to make his endorsement for the BASL Presidency official.

Meanwhile it was also reported that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had also met with Tirantha Walaliyadda. Whatever the outcome of the BASL polls it is clear that the post for President will be hotly contested with many political ramifications.