Birthday bash

The cities of Mainpuri, Etawah, Firozabad and Agra in Uttar Pradesh are being decked up to celebrate the 76th birthday of Samajwadi Party founder and national president Mulayam Singh Yadav on November 22. A birthday-eve bash at Saifai's athletic stadium on November 21 is expected to draw more than 50,000 supporters of the politician as well as envoys from 10 countries, film stars and industrialists. Government-owned accommodation and major hotels in these cities have been booked for the VIP guests. While the Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, a state government undertaking, will host the planned shows, Singh's son and state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is supervising the preparations.