Guwahati: A games of chess is what they are playing—indeed in politics too.
With astute moves the dissident leader Eknath Shinde whisked away some 15 lawmakers of his party.
They have been staying at a hotel in Guwahati, Assam for over a week with nothing to engage themselves in.
Although Shinde is fighting a disqualification in apex court, lawmakers in his camp are lazing about indoors.
They have no permission to venture outside because they will change minds or worse get whisked away by their rival camp in Maharashtra.
During the dull hours lawmakers devised ideas to kill time by playing 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.
Initially, the rebel group checked in the hotel for staying for a week.
Assam BJP MLAs, leaders and ministers often drop by to briefly meet the Maharashtra lawmakers.
Assam police commandos are guarding MLAs as well as the hotel they are staying.
The hotel refused common boarders except the passengers from airlines having stay arrangements with the hotel.
Assam's ruling BJP maintains that camping of MLAs at the hotel has nothing to do with the Maharashtra political crisis.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed lawmakers are guests who have chosen Guwahati for their stay.
Shiv Sena leaders from Manipur led by state President M. Tombi Singh came to meet Eknath Shinde at the hotel but were refused permission.
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, and Independents have been camping at the hotel to pull down Uddhav Thackeray administration in Maharashtra.
IANS with edits