After Kaziranga resort, NPF MLAs hole up in Hotel Japfu

NPF leadership settled but not concerns of its MLAs Principal Correspondent Kohima, May 19 Even as the NPF-led DAN legislators unanimously elected TR Zeliang as their new leader and Chief Minister-designate, the entire supporters (legislators), who had been camping at Kaziranga National Park for more than a week with the new leader, are now camped at Hotel Japfu Kohima. Official sources disclosed that after returning from Kaziranga on May 15, the very next day entire 26 rooms of Hotel Japfu Kohima were booked for the 30-35 supporters of TR Zeliang to restart their camping. Following incumbent Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s win in the Lok Sabha election, the NPF-led DAN legislature party, supported by pre-poll allies BJP and JD(U) and NCP and Independent MLAs, had unanimously elected TR Zeliang to succeed Rio as the head of the government in the State on May 17.Ministers, parliamentary secretaries and MLAs who had been camping at Kaziranga supporting TR Zeliang are continuing to camp in the hotel while entry to the hotel for outsiders besides legislators have also been restricted. Attempts to contact the camped legislators were futile as most had their cell phones are switched off, some not reachable while some were not responding to the calls. Talking to this correspondent on conditions of anonymity, sources working with the legislators said the bosses are not even receiving the calls but were calling back themselves if required. Not all the legislators are camped in the hotel, but they are having regular meetings. Sources also said the legislators are likely to continue camping in the hotel till the time the new Chief Minister is installed and proper functioning of the government resumes after the return of the outgoing CM Neiphiu Rio and CM-designate TR Zeliang from Delhi.