Lalu Prasad turns 74, celebrates quietly at Delhi home; Nitish extends greetings

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday extended birthday greetings to his arch rival Lalu Prasad, with whom his love hate relationship has been the stuff of legend in contemporary politics.

Prasad, the founding president of Rashtriya Janata Dal who enjoyed unmatched mass following in his heydays, turned 74.

"Of course, I extend him my greetings. I always do", replied Kumar with a broad smile when asked by reporters what would he like to say on the birthday of the RJD supremo, whom he had unseated from power more than a decade ago. Political hostility between the two leaders, which began in mid 1990s and continues till date barring a short-lived alliance in the previous decade, has been highly talked about in the political circles.

When Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav got married in 2018, it was the image of the grooms father and his political adversary in a warm embrace which hogged the limelight.

Prasad, who has been convicted in a number of fodder scam cases, was released from jail recently, though the fresh outbreak of Covid-19 has kept the ailing septuagenarian from being in his home town, in the midst of his doting supporters.

The ailing septuagenarian, who is staying at New Delhi, took part in a quiet celebration, pictures of which were shared on social media by his eldest daughter Misa Bharti. Adored and abhorred in equal measure for his devil may care attitude, Prasad can be seen, in one of the pictures, flanked on either side by wife Rabri Devi, who had succeeded him as the Chief Minister of Bihar, and Misa besides his grandchildren.

Other pictures show the flamboyant politician, dressed in T-shirt and shorts, cutting the cake and receiving a bouquet from his wife.

In Patna, former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president Jitan Ram Manjhi wished Prasad on his birthday. Manjhi talked to Prasad over phone when Tej Pratap Yadav visited his house during the day. Manjhi and Yadav meeting was seen with interest in the political circles as HAM is a part of the NDA in Bihar. But, both Manjhi and Yadav maintained that the meeting was personal and not political.