Unified socialist MPs in expensive hotels

BIRATNAGAR: AUGUST 30 – The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) has housed 10 lawmakers at the Big Hotel in Biratnagar. The CPN (Maoist) held a meeting at the Big Hotel on the same day as Bhim Acharya was appointed as the Chief Minister.

The newly formed Acharya-led government has been kept secret from the parliamentarians with a plan to overthrow it. Sources close to the CPN-S claim that all the MPs were kept at the hotel for the meeting. Rajendra Rai, who has been nominated as the chief minister by the CPN-Socialist Party, is staying in room number 314 out of three ‘suite deluxe rooms’ of the hotel. Discussions are held among the regular parliamentarians in the mini hall in front of the same room.

According to hotel sources, the price of the room used by Rai is Rs 11,500. Sources claim that nine rooms have been booked in the hotel to accommodate the MP. The rooms have been taken at a cost of Rs 4,000 per room per day. According to a close source, the UML leader kept the MP at the hotel thinking that he would win over him. A leader said that the lawmakers living in Biratnagar were also staying in the room.

Udayapur MP Sunita Kumari Chaudhary along with Rajendra Rai and Rajan Rai of Khotang have been staying in the same hotel. MPs from Morang Upendra Kumar Ghimire, Krishna Kumari Rai, Sabitri Kumari Regmi, Ganesh Kambang from Panchthar and Khinu Langwa Limbu from Ilam also stayed at the hotel on Sunday night. According to a source, leaders of the CPN-Unified Socialists including Ghanendra Basnet and Mahesh Regmi attend daily meetings.

It is said that MPs including CPN-Maoist central parliamentary party leader Indra Aangbo were also staying at the hotel. According to sources, the meeting is being discussed between the leaders of the CPN-Socialist and the Maoist Center. Talks were also held with the Nepali Congress at the same hotel on Saturday. Claiming to be the chief minister, Rajendra Rai said that the lawmaker was not kept in the hotel under any compulsion. He said that he was not forced to stay inside the hotel even though he was allowed to attend the meeting.