Buddhist party leader backs Rajapaksa

December 11, 2014 03:31 pm | Updated April 07, 2016 03:45 am IST - COLOMBO

Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa regained momentum in his bid for a third term with another leading politician abandoning the opposition to join his campaign on Thursday.

Udaya Gammanpila, a top official from the Buddhist nationalist National Heritage Party, defected from the opposition to become the third leading politician to support Mr. Rajapaksa in the Jan. 8 election.

Mr. Rajapaksa faces his former health minister and ruling party No. 2 Maithripala Sirisena. Mr. Sirisena led a revolt in Mr. Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition, taking with him 11 ministers and lawmakers.

Now it seems Mr. Rajapaksa has managed to reverse some of the damage.

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