Rainy day in Nugegoda: Namal as contender, Sajith’s strategic shortsightedness:

Thirdly, he challenged Anura frontally.

- By Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

SLPP's Edirimanne: strong young voice at Nugegoda Namal Rajapaksa on his way 'People's Prince' issues challenge Rock-star reception from the crowd Sajith should teach his party about his great, successful father's ideas and policies

Sounding like a young Muhammad Ali, he announced that he was coming for AKD and his rule of broken promises through a pro-people struggle, a “janathavaadee aragalaya”.When he stayed behind at Temple Trees until his father Mahinda and everyone else had finally been evacuated after a Molotov cocktail throwing inner-city mob had besieged and broken in with terrifying, disgraceful intent to lynch war-winning ex-President MR; and when he decided to take the plunge and enter the 2024 Presidential race after Dhammika Perera bailed-out at the last moment, Namal has shown himself resolute, with real courage to take real risks.

Last week’s Nugegoda gathering showed he had the courage to risk taking the political initiative.

A leader is a fighter. Someone who can and will lead his/her collective, his/her side in battle defending the cause or country against the enemy. Namal Rajapaksa is a fearless fighter, as was his father Mahinda --and Sajith’s father Ranasinghe Premadasa. If anyone was looking for who had the personality—the combination of daring and appeal, guts and smarts—to take on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his JVP-NPP machine, the rainy November day in Nugegoda revealed it was Namal Rajapaksa.