Patna, Jan. 1: It was not a happy New Year for Lalu Prasad as he watched the Samajwadi Party family drama unfold in UP today.

It was evident that the RJD chief was disappointed over the way UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav virtually sidelined his father Mulayam Singh Yadav - to whose grandnephew Lalu's youngest daughter is married - in the party a day after his bonhomie with his father's camp.

When The Telegraph visited his 10 Circular Road residence, Lalu was surrounded with people who had come to wish him a happy New Year. He, however, was not happy.

" Sab ulta ho gaya (everything has gone awry)," he kept muttering as he repeatedly asked that the volume of the TV be turned up.

He hardly spoke to ministers who visited, including finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui, disaster management department minister Chandrashekhar, social welfare minister Manju Verma and youth affairs minister Shiv Chandra Ram.

When a staff member came with a phone call; Lalu took the phone and repeated: " Sab ulta ho gaya." When The Telegraph asked him about developments in UP today, he muttered the same phrase.

It was a far cry from yesterday, when Lalu was his usual jovial self. On Saturday, Lalu had tried to broker peace between Mulayam and Akhilesh and had called both of them up. But the twists today left Lalu sullen.

Requesting anonymity, a minister told The Telegraph: "Lalu ji is looking very upset, normally he offers sweets and talks on such occasions but today he is very silent."

RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbey seemed unaware about the news.

"Best wishes on New Year and congratulations for settling the matter in UP," Purbey told Lalu while presenting a bouquet.

"Don't you know? Sab ulta ho gaya," Lalu told him.

"No, sir, I do not know," Purbey said and started looking at the television.

The MLAs who had come made a quick exit too.

When reporters asked Lalu to say something on UP, he said: "What I will say and what can I do now? If I have to say something, I'll let you know."

Lalu was also heard murmuring that Mulayam will become marg darshak (mentor, but read irrelevant) of the Samajwadi Party like L.K. Advani in the BJP.

At around 1:30pm, Lalu with folded hands asked all visitors to leave; it was time for his siesta.