Colombo: Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa staged a dramatic political comeback on Friday, becoming Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked premier Ranil Wickremesinghe — widely seen to be pro-India — and swore his arch rival in, triggering concern in Delhi over the return of the China leaning former president. It remains to be seen whether Lanka, under its new dispensation, distances itself politically from New Delhi and moves closer to China.
India was unwilling to describe the move as anything more than “internal developments”, but Delhi is agog with reports of a cabinet meeting in the Sri Lankan capital last week where Mr Sirisena and Mr Wickremesinghe reportedly had a falling out over leasing a port terminal to India, days after a grim-faced Mr Wickremesinghe had visited New Delhi and met with Narendra Modi.
Ironically, the new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa — who was also in Delhi along with his son Namal earlier in what was speculated to be a rebuilding of bridges — had earlier been defeated by Mr. Sirisena, the man who has now appointed him as PM.
