On victory lap: Cheers, tears, and selfie atop a jeep

Gaurav Kanthwal

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Chandigarh, May 28

Anurag Thakur is on a victory lap these days and the sparkle in his eyes says how desperately he wanted it. After being crowned as the new BCCI boss recently, Thakur has returned to a rousing welcome in Himachal Pradesh.

The parliamentarian has been travelling from one town to another, often attending seven to eight meetings on a given day. But the meetings are more of a victory celebration and the new BCCI president is basking in the glory of his success.

From Hamirpur to Bilaspur to Una to Shimla... this is going to be a whirlwind tour for him. Thakur has the twin task of elaborating the success of the Modi government in the last two years and his eleven-year pursuit of the BCCI chair.

Una District Association president Madan Puri said, “He is in Una and has attended eight-nine meetings today. Probably he is here to attend official meetings but the felicitation is also going on side by side.”

On Friday, Thakur reached Hamirpur and attended several meeting where he was felicitated time and again. Paeans of his and Himachal Pradesh’s success were sung umpteen times, but he was not complaining. Like a hardcore politician, he just smiled, though and he reiterated that he “is a practical man and not a politician”.

Garlanded heavily and bathed in flower petals, the three-time MP was paraded in an open-top jeep in the town. He may not have taken a selfie after any of his Lok Sabha poll wins, but on Friday, he could not stop himself from this innocuous pampering.

It is often seen that success evokes myriad emotions. Thakur, currently the face of success in cricketing circles, was joyous and thankful, but melancholic also.

The three-time BJP MP from Hamirpur broke down while delivering a victory speech in Hamirpur on Friday. Talking about his efforts to promote cricket in the state and the “resistance” he has had to face from CM Virbhadra Singh, he said, “When the state Vigilance Bureau foisted cases on me, one day my son asked me what I had done that the police were coming after me?”

He suddenly got charged up and asked repeatedly, “Mera kasoor kya hai... mera kasoor kya hai... yahi ki main cricket me pradesh ka naam uncha karna chahta.” The packed hall could not believe their eyes when they saw the BCCI president in tears. Thakur wiped off the tears and tried to continue but was choked by his emotions. Pausing for a while, he retried, but failed again. Tears still rolling down his cheeks, Thakur finally gathered himself and continued; but like a true politician, his guns were once again trained at the opposition.

Soon, he was his usual self, fiercely blaming the Congress party for harming the interest of cricket in the state and crediting himself for erecting a grand edifice for the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) in Dharamsala.

As a post-script, his coterie qualifies his credentials for the top post by revealing that he has played an ‘international’ match representing the Board’s President XI against England. Thakur has also promised to hold a Test match in Dharamsala featuring New Zealand in September-October.