New Delhi, Feb 09: At the January 25 banquet for visiting Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, the one man who took Rashtrapati Bhavan chefs by surprise was Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Instead of gorging on succulent mutton tikkas — oh, he simply loves those — the PM opted for staid fish and vegetables.
A day later, when he showed up again at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the Republic Day at home gathering, he stayed away from the snacks spread out.
For those who worry about the PM’s health, there’s fresh word: the 78-year-old has cut down on fatty, high-calorie food, shedding 6 kg in four months to look leaner. In short, it’s bye bye malpua, bye bye kheer.
This March 19, he becomes the first non-Congress PM to complete five consecutive years in office. And there’s buzz now that if he continues to discipline his diet, the party need not fret over who can lead the party in the October, 2004 elections. After all, Morarji Desai became PM at age 81.
While his health details are classified, what is known is that his weight stabilised at 80 kg. This was a crucial input for installation of an elevator at Red Fort on August 15 last year.
That Vajpayee has been making a conscious effort to skip snacks between meals became apparent this week when, at his meeting with visiting Uzbekistan Foreign Minister A H Kamilov, Race Course Road served only fruit juice, no Indian delicacy.
Behind the weight loss is no Shikha Sharma diet regime but an inner desire to take better care of his health. It’s learnt that he stuck to a low-calorie diet even on the beach at the Taj Exotica in Goa during New Year.
Vajpayee watchers say he has not used the treadmill at home or in office. Special Protection Group officials say the PM’s moving better, quicker than he did last year. He still sticks to his afternoon siesta. But PMO insiders say this doesn’t mean he’s neglecting work. Drawing on his remarkable memory, Vajpayee concentrates on critical issues and leaves the mundane stuff to others. The upshot: the PM’s looking a lot better.
Bureau Report
