(Top)The RJD head office in Patna on Tuesday. Supporters celebrate in front of Nitish’s house. (PTI)

Patna/New Delhi, Nov. 22: Lalu Prasad brooded over his stunning defeat within four walls. Nitish Kumar savoured his victory also within four walls, almost.

Bihar’s chief minister-to-be, Nitish, basked in the warmth of the biggest victory of his political career in the seclusion of his official bungalow in the early winter of Delhi, far from party supporters, and a long way from his voters.

For someone who promises revolutionary change in Bihar, Nitish’s first statement soon after trends predicted an NDA victory could not quite match up to Lalu language.

“This is a victory for the people of Bihar. We have a lot of challenges to meet. The focus of our attention is governance. We will take everybody along. We have got support from everyone ? Hindus, Muslims, backwards, forwards, Dalits. Everyone’s interests will be guarded. We will try and put governance back on tracks in Bihar,” he said, after reluctantly emerging from his residence at the insistence of the media gathered at his doorstep.

As reluctant was Lalu to emerge from 1 Anne Marg, the former residence of the Bihar chief minister in Patna and now the former first couple’s home, till afternoon. Yesterday itself he had said: “I don’t want to see any mediawala till the entire results come out.”

Outside the sprawling bungalow, the security guards would not even allow anyone to peep through the gate. A handful of Rashtriya Janata Dal supporters jostled with the media to gain access.

Party leader Vijay Singh Yadav who popped out for a while said: “Laluji is still at his morning rituals. He will surely meet you with the good news after he has finished his puja.”

Laluji did emerge after puja, but not with good news, a few minutes before 2.00 pm. He sat on a cane chair on the lawns at the end of a six-hour wait for the media. Rabri Devi stayed inside, possibly still watching TV because her own verdict, from Raghopur, had not come. She won, finally.

“I accept defeat and congratulate Nitish the individual. Nitish is a good man and like my younger brother, but I am not congratulating the BJP,” Lalu Prasad said. Words hadn’t left him, but his face was taut.

Brotherly feelings were in evidence in Delhi, too. “He is like my elder brother. I had congratulated him when he became the railway minister,” Nitish said, though he regretted that Lalu hadn’t phoned him, though the Prime Minister had.

“The only person who has not called me is Lalu Prasad,” he said.

If that riled Nitish, Lalu reminded the victor of what lay ahead. “Let Nitish fulfil his promise and change the face of Bihar in three months. We will wait and see.”

Whether one of those faces will be pursuit of corruption charges against Lalu, Nitish would not say.

“This is a question for the chief minister. I have not been elected by the NDA legislature party yet. But let me add that we will not follow a policy of vendetta. Our job is to provide good governance in Bihar,” he said.

The NDA will work out a schedule tonight for the meetings. It will also decide on the issue of a deputy chief minister in the next couple of days.

Surrounded most of the day by BJP office-bearers, Nitish visited BJP president L.K. Advani’s residence and his own party chief George Fernandes.

Advani showered praise on Nitish and clarified that the Bihar result did not alter his decision to step down. “I stand by what I said in Chennai,” said Advani.