A state media station has spent nearly Rs. 2 million to "train" the dummy presidential candidate who looked like President Maithripala Sirisena.

The dummy candidate had been stationed at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute throughout the election period and the state media station had looked after all his expenses.

During his stay at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Sirisena had been given a special training by a hired personal trainer to impersonate Maithripala Sirisena, who was then the Common Candidate of the opposition. The personal trainer had also been paid with tax payers' money.A former head of a state media institution had overlooked the entire operation on behalf of the former President's campaign managers. 

During the presidential election period, this dummy Sirisena impersonated Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena on TV ads, making a mockery of the entire electoral process. Some of his election advertisements were run by a bogus organization called 'R. A. Sirisena  Foundation'

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, when he went to cast his vote on January 08, also took R.A. Sirisena with him, along with members of the former first family. R.A. Sirisena, a resident of Medamulana, also wore a Modi-like jack, strongly resembling presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

Dummy Sirisena was the person who impersonated Maithripala Sirisena in the popular political comedy 'And Company', aired by Swarnawahini.