The Hindu : Laloo steals the show at Thakur's party

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 28, 2002

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Other States - Bihar

Laloo steals the show at Thakur's party

By K. Balchand

PATNA APRIL 27. Laloo Prasad Yadav — the name means a lot, and so does the person. If there is a show about him on TV, it necessarily has to be telecast if you don't want to spoil your own party.

That is precisely what the Union Health Minister, C.P. Thakur, did on Friday night here to keep his 15-course dinner going in spite of the fact that he had hosted it at a posh hotel for his guests, including top bureaucrats and doctors besides a cross section of society.

That Bihar Ministers connected with the Health Department too were present is besides the point, in the present context.

Dr. Thakur's buffet began at 8 p.m. and, interestingly right from that time the Zee TV channel was on the TV that had been specially installed in the dining room for the occasion.

That, indeed, was Dr. Thakur's silent tribute to the stature and popularity of Mr.Yadav, in an obvious bid to save his own interests. What more could the RJD supremo have expected from his political opponent!

Undoubtedly, even in his absence, Mr.Yadav was the star attraction at the gathering. The Union Minister was well aware that his ``party'' would break-up ahead of the Zee TV prime show ``Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai'' featuring the man who has dominated Bihar politics for more than 12 long years at 9 p.m.

Dr. Thakur's master stroke was a saving grace. Most of the guests had turned up reluctantly, unable to turn down the invitation, but with the resolve to finish their course and be back home for the Laloo-show.

The presence of the TV telecasting the Zee TV channel, however, was reassuring. All the guests seemed relaxed as they had been saved from embarrassing the host. As one bureaucrat put it: "He (Dr. Thakur) rescued us all and himself. As a matter of fact I had decided to leave to be at home for the telecast."

The dinner, in fact, was a welcome indulgence and went well with the telecast. It was unlike most dinners. Discussions ended and there was pin-drop silence the moment the show commenced, interspersed with laughter as when the Chief Minister, Ms. Rabri Devi, denied with a blushful wave of her hand that Mr. Yadav had ever cooed in her ears the three sweetest words — I love you.

The Minister of State, Mr. Akhilesh Singh, did not spare Dr. Thakur: ``Sir, Lalooji is towering here too''.

The latter acknowledged it with a smile.

But he was not at fault. The entire city seemed to have had come to a standstill — a situation more comparable to the one witnessed during a pulsating one-day cricket match. Roads were deserted and, perhaps, the only TV channel on the air was the Zee TV.

Power cuts caused resentment in a few localities where people demanded a recast of the episode.

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Laloo steals the show at Thakur's party