President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told the SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena that UNP Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekera would defect to the government shortly and that he would not be made a Cabinet minister.

The President has said that Dayasiri wanted to be appointed as the Deputy Highway Minister. The President currently holds the portfolio of Highways.

However, government sources say that Dayasiri would join the government in the next few days even without any portfolio. Dayasiri has told some of his friends that the President has said he would be made the UPFA’s Chief Ministerial candidate at the next North Western Provincial Council election.

Meanwhile, Kurunegala District UNP MP Ashok Abeysinghe has told fellow UNP MP Rosy Senanayake that he has rejected a proposal made by Dayasiri to join the government with him.

Several attempts to contact Dayasiri for comment failed.