<p>Barely an hour after the results started trickling in, the huge entrance gate at Rabri Devi’s official residence 10, Circular Road was shut for everybody.<br /><br />Though Lalu was inside, nobody (not even his favourite scribes from the electronic media) were permitted to meet him. OB vans were parked outside. Journalists from Delhi had landed to interview the RJD chief, but Lalu, whose mood was spoilt with such unfavourable outcome, was not prepared to ‘face’ anyone. <br /><br />While erstwhile ruling couple Lalu and Rabri became inaccessible, the scene was diametrically opposite just 500 metres away where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resides. With bouquets in hand, an array of ruling party supporters was jostling with each other to meet the JD (U) strongman at 1, Aney Marg, the official residence of the Bihar chief minister.<br /><br />But Nitish, who works according to his schedule, first went to Raj Bhavan, submitted his papers and then asked mediamen to come over to his residence at 2 pm.<br /><br />Inside, the crowd was double than those waiting outside the gate. The cameramen, both print and electronic, fell over each other to capture close-up shots of Nitish as if he was meeting the journalists for the first time. <br /><br />After hurling abuses on each other (lens-men), finally the cameras were put in place, much to the embarrassment of the man who was going to rule Bihar for the next five years. Sound bytes over, the journalists again rushed to Lalu, who was still recuperating from the shock. <br /><br />There was an eerie silence. A pall of gloom had descended on 10, Circular Road, which otherwise, used to be buzzing with activities. No drum-beaters, no “band-baaja”, no singer, no supporters – Lalu was in a pensive mood. <br /><br />After a while, he agreed to meet a select group of scribes and said the results were mysterious. <br /><br />“I have seen many ups and downs in my life. Such setbacks won’t demoralise me. But yes, I will soon unravel the ‘mystery’ behind such landslide victory,” he quipped.<br /><br />“We will do the introspection. But tell Nitish not to be too excited over such victory,” he warned his bete noire before winding up.</p>
<p>Barely an hour after the results started trickling in, the huge entrance gate at Rabri Devi’s official residence 10, Circular Road was shut for everybody.<br /><br />Though Lalu was inside, nobody (not even his favourite scribes from the electronic media) were permitted to meet him. OB vans were parked outside. Journalists from Delhi had landed to interview the RJD chief, but Lalu, whose mood was spoilt with such unfavourable outcome, was not prepared to ‘face’ anyone. <br /><br />While erstwhile ruling couple Lalu and Rabri became inaccessible, the scene was diametrically opposite just 500 metres away where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resides. With bouquets in hand, an array of ruling party supporters was jostling with each other to meet the JD (U) strongman at 1, Aney Marg, the official residence of the Bihar chief minister.<br /><br />But Nitish, who works according to his schedule, first went to Raj Bhavan, submitted his papers and then asked mediamen to come over to his residence at 2 pm.<br /><br />Inside, the crowd was double than those waiting outside the gate. The cameramen, both print and electronic, fell over each other to capture close-up shots of Nitish as if he was meeting the journalists for the first time. <br /><br />After hurling abuses on each other (lens-men), finally the cameras were put in place, much to the embarrassment of the man who was going to rule Bihar for the next five years. Sound bytes over, the journalists again rushed to Lalu, who was still recuperating from the shock. <br /><br />There was an eerie silence. A pall of gloom had descended on 10, Circular Road, which otherwise, used to be buzzing with activities. No drum-beaters, no “band-baaja”, no singer, no supporters – Lalu was in a pensive mood. <br /><br />After a while, he agreed to meet a select group of scribes and said the results were mysterious. <br /><br />“I have seen many ups and downs in my life. Such setbacks won’t demoralise me. But yes, I will soon unravel the ‘mystery’ behind such landslide victory,” he quipped.<br /><br />“We will do the introspection. But tell Nitish not to be too excited over such victory,” he warned his bete noire before winding up.</p>
