Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

Penchant for roadside shopping

N. Rahul

ON A TRIP: Mata Prasad (second from right) and his party colleagues from Uttar Pradesh visiting the Charminar. - Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD : In the thick of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) session on Sunday afternoon was a former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Mata Prasad, bargaining for an odd piece of cloth from a roadside vendor on the busy lane next to Gandhi Bhavan.

K.P. Singh, former MP, who was accompanying him, had already purchased five pieces of dhoti and kurta and made himself comfortable on an adjoining platform.

Sporting a Gandhi cap, Mr. Mata Prasad was among a ten-member team from Jaunpur district in Uttar Pradesh which visited Gandhi Bhavan from the venue of the AICC session to collect delegates' gifts. Their presence amidst the confusion that ruled due to scattered vending and people rushing to the All India Industrial Exhibition would have gone unnoticed but for a keen eye.

The team, which was provided with two cars, then left for Charminar. Another batch of delegates from Shahjahanpur district of UP also descended on the Charminar area at the same time to catch a glimpse of the monument.

Visit CCMB

Incidentally, the visitors from Jaunpur have a distinguished scientist of their native land in the city. Lalji Singh, Director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), has already hosted them and shown them round the prestigious laboratory.

Mr. Mata Prasad was Governor of the north-eastern State from 1993 to 1999 and Revenue Minister of UP earlier. He was elected five times as MLA and twice as MLC. He is also a prolific writer having authored two books on tribals of Arunachal Pradesh. Another book on social reforms in India was under publication.

He said he was hand picked by former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao for the gubernatorial post in a stiff competition. He was hopeful of Congress returning to power in UP as BJP to which it conceded the vote bank was on the brink.

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