Word coming out of Sri Lanka is that Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost the Presidential elections in January, is “very keen” to return as the country’s Prime Minister, a position he held from April 2004 till November 2005, before getting to occupy the highest office, the Telegraph India said in a statement.

On Friday, President P.G.M.Y. Sirisena dissolved Parliament and the general elections are set for August 17.

That, incidentally, could lead to a tweaking of the dates for the India-Sri Lanka Test series there. The first match of the three-Test series, in Galle, is scheduled to start on August 18.

Rajapaksa and Sirisena, the man who upset him in the Presidential elections, are from the same Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and well-placed sources of The Telegraphhave informed that the former is actually looking to be the party’s nominee for the Prime Minister’s post.

That may not be easy as President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, of the United National Party, had got together to oust Rajapaksa and they have reached a “good understanding.”

But, as with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), anything is possible in politics.

Some are also talking in terms of Rajapaksa breaking away from the SLFP and forming a party of his own, to ensure he has another go at the Prime Ministership.

Clearly, the 69-year-old hasn’t reconciled to being completely out of power and out of the headlines.

The power structure in Sri Lanka is a bit complicated. The President has near-absolute powers, but it’s not that the Prime Minister doesn’t have authority.

Obviously, the personalities come into play. A comeback by Rajapaksa could, of course, have an impact on Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as he’d taken active interest in the sport during his years as Prime Minister and as President.
(Telegraph India)