Lalu & Nitish relax post polls; BJP leaders return to Delhi

PATNA: At 4:30 pm on Friday, Lalu Prasad took a stroll on the lawns of 10 Circular Road in Patna in his trademark vest and dhoti, after a long afternoon nap. He had been missing these leisurely walks for almost 40 days now. His neighbour, CM Nitish Kumar, at 7 Circular Road also had a long rest.

Since September 27, when the two hit the campaign trail, they used to wake up at 7 am and returned home only late in the evening. Friday was the first ‘election-free’ day with the counting scheduled for Sunday. “I am relaxed...grand victory awaits us,” Prasad told ET, as he spent time with his family members and supporters over cups of tea.



A Kumar aide said the CM too spent the day resting. He met a few spokespersons and party leadership and then retired to his bedroom. He will speak to the media only after results are out on Sunday, while Prasad already held a press conference announcing victory. The mood seems rather the opposite in the BJP camp. All senior BJP leaders reached Delhi while the person in charge of Bihar, Ananth Kumar, was back in Bengaluru. They will not return on counting day either. Junior BJP leaders are, however, pinning hopes on the exit poll prediction by ‘Chankaya’ that has given NDA 155 seats.

The only senior leader present in the BJP office in Patna was Bihar unit general secretary Nagendra Singh. Party sources said though the central leaders were not likely to be present in Patna on Sunday, senior leaders from Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav, Ram Kripal Yadav and Giriraj Singh are expected to be present.