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Patna all spruced up for first family's maiden wedding

Preparations for the maiden wedding in Bihar's ''first family'' -- Chief Minister Rabri Devi and Laloo Prasad Yadav's eldest daughter Misa Bharati in Patna tomorrow -- are all but complete. The invitees' list reads like a virtual who's who of politics.

Everyone from President K R Narayanan, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, other central ministers and chief ministers have been invited. The normally lethargic city administration has sprung into action, with squads of municipal workers doing the rounds with paint cans and brooms. The entire Anne Marg area, where the chief minister's residence is located, is being given a face-lift. Even the trees lining the road have been given a fresh coat of paint.

All the street lights are now working and at least till the marriage is over there will be no power-cuts. Special dishes are being prepared by cooks brought in from Ranchi. The menu, a closely-guarded secret, is to be vegetarian -- lover of tangri kababs and murgh massala will feel left out.

Political rivalries have been put on the back-burner. To accommodate the burgeoning list of guests, especially the close relatives of the family, the neighbouring house, that of Congress leader and former assembly speaker Radhanand Jha is being spruced up. The list of VVIPs invited include Union Home Minister L K Advani and three former prime ministers -- Chandra Shekhar, Deve Gowda and I K gujaral. Misa Bharati is getting married to Sailesh Kumar, a computer engineer.

UNI

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