Guwahati, (Asian independent) The dissident Shiv Sena MLAs, who are camping at the luxury Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati for the past few days are passing their time by playing various indoor games including chess and ludo.
“Other than a couple of meetings within themselves, they have no other serious activity in Guwahati. To pass their time, they are playing various indoor games including chess and ludo to keep themselves engaged,” a source close to the MLAs told the media on condition of anonymity.
The rebel legislators led by disgruntled Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde are not allowed to go outside the hotel.
Initially, the MLAs booked rooms of the hotel for about a week.
Assam BJP MLAs, leaders and ministers are occasionally visiting the hotel, and briefly talking with the Maharashtra lawmakers.
Assam police commandos led by senior officials are closely looking after the security of the MLAs, and from time to time, also reviewing the hotel security.
The hotel authorities refused fresh booking of common boarders except the passengers from airlines, with which the hotel has long term arrangements.
Assam’s ruling BJP has been maintaining that it has nothing to do with the Maharashtra political crisis and camping of the MLAs in Guwahati.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that these people are guests and have chosen Guwahati for their stay on their own.
Shiv Sena leaders from Manipur led by state President M. Tombi Singh came to the hotel on Monday to meet Eknath Shinde. However, they were not allowed to meet.
The main opposition Congress in Assam earlier asked the dissident Maharashtra MLAs to leave the state at the earliest in the greater interest of the state.
Since last Wednesday morning, dissident MLAs of Shiv Sena, Independents and others have been camping at the hotel posing a threat to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government in Maharashtra.
