Patna, June 11: When RJD chief Lalu Prasad played truant during the party’s agitation against the NDA government on June 5, his supporters did not complain. Today, when the former Bihar chief minister decided to skip his birthday celebrations in Patna, the supporters again kept quiet.

Even quieter was the ambience at 10 Circular Road, the house of Lalu Prasad, which, till last year used to be decked up days in advance to celebrate the birthday of the RJD chief.

Thousand of well-wishers used to throng this house till last year but today it wore a deserted look as Lalu himself was not interested in visiting the place. This is for the first time that Lalu Prasad is not in Patna on his birthday since he became the chief minister in 1990.

“Earlier we had to struggle to stop the well-wishers at the gate as they used to be in thousands, but today, since morning, nobody has come here,” said a worker at the house.

After the Assembly elections debacle last year, Lalu has become Delhi friendly and has visited Patna only thrice to address public gatherings.

The RJD supporters, however, celebrated Lalu’s 64th birthday at party office with much fanfare.

Surrounded by a few hundred party workers, RJD state unit president Ram Chandra Purbey and senior RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Kripal Yadav cut a 25-pound cake, with icing designed in the shape of a lantern, the symbol of Lalu’s party.

The party office, located at Beer Chand Patel Path, was decorated with marigold flowers. Ram Kripal Yadav beat the drums while the supporters took to the floor, dancing in celebration.

Recalling past celebrations, Yadav said: “Laluji used to feed the poor people and distribute sweets to them. He is not here but we are in a great mood of joy and celebrations on his birthday.”

He further added: “I spoke to Lalu ji in the morning over the phone and wished him on his birthday. He is celebrating the day with his family members in Delhi.”

Surendra Prasad Yadav, the man who used to sing sohar (song sung on the birth of a baby) and bhajan on the day said: “Since he became the chief minister of this state, I have been performing on his birthday every year. This is the first time that he is not present in Patna, otherwise the mood would have been something else. He used to sing along with us and also give us awards on the occasion.”

When his party was in power, Lalu’s birthday had acquired political overtones with his supporters celebrating it in a big way.

He used to cut a cake depicting different religions, like a mosque, temple and church on the same base.

When he became railway minister, he started cutting a cake shaped like a railway engine, but now when the RJD chief is not in a position of power, the cake could be adorned only with the party symbol.