New Delhi, Jan 15: Bouyed by the progress in their peace talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other leaders, major Naga insurgent group NSCN(I-M) leaders will hold two days of parleys with top government officials beginning January 20 and extend their stay here by at least four days. NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chisi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, who were earlier scheduled to leave India on January 20 after a 12-day stay, are now expected to be here till January 24, informed sources said today.

Swu and Muivah would hold discussions with Centre's emissary on the Naga peace process K Padmanabhaiah, intelligence bureau chief K P Singh and secretary (border management) in the home ministry R C A Jain to have a frank exchange of views when the two sides would attempt to further narrow their differences.

The two Naga leaders would meet former prime ministers V P Singh, I K Gujral, H D Deve Gowda and Chandra Shekhar tomorrow and are also likely to have discussions with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Besides Vajpayee, they had had talks with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha, defence minister George Fernandes and finance minister Jaswant Singh.

While both sides have termed the parleys so far as "positive", the sources said based on the progress of the negotiations, Naga leaders could extend their stay in India. Bureau Report