Feb 10, Colombo: Widening the rift in Sri Lanka major opposition United National Party (UNP) over the leadership of Ranil Wickremasinghe, UNP parliamentarian Palitha Range Bandara said today that alternate teams would be nominated to contest at the Central and North Western Provincial Council elections against the party to protest the party leader.

Addressing a public meeting in Bangadeniya, the MP expressed his views on the "dictatorship" of the party leader and said the UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe is a dictator who should be defeated.

He said that the party should not be allowed to liquidate the party and vowed to rally the anti-Wickremasinghe camp to contest in future elections.

He said that three political parties have also expressed support for the alternative UNP.

According to a report by state-run television ITN, leading party members Karu Jayasuriya, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and Buddhika Pathirana who strived to make Sajith Premadasa the Party leader are being marginalized.