BBC NEWS | South Asia | 'Bling-bling' birthday for Goan politician

Keepin it Bling Bling in India?
(via the great turbanhead.com)

Francisco 'Micky' Pacheco blinging


This is a great story from BBC news South Asia, discussing an extravagant birthday bash for an Indian Minister in the Indian state of(where else?) Goa.

More than 15,000 guests are expected to turn up when Francisco 'Micky' Pacheco celebrates his 38th birthday at a football stadium on Friday. "Life is uncertain. I don't know whether I will be alive next year on this day. So I try to live it up on my birthday," Mr Pacheco told BBC News Online. Mr Pacheco is the minister for tourism, sports and youth affairs in Goa's coalition government, led by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The guests at his birthday bash include all the 14 ministers of the state cabinet, including the chief minister.

There will be two bands belting out live music, a dance floor, a sprawling bar under a tent serving drinks through the night, and four buffet food stations to cope with the demand. Mr Pacheco, who loves listening to Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg and was once bass guitarist for a local band, unabashedly adopts the bling-bling lifestyle of his hip-hop icons. He is usually kitted out in funky body hugging shirts, a bandana, gold rings and clunky chains. Mr Pacheco says he graduated in fashion design from New York and now runs six companies with diverse interests. The minister says he is still a fashion designer - "evening and cocktail dresses" are his forte. He owns a showroom in Paris, homes in Florida and travel and recruitment agencies in Goa and Miami.

Mr Pacheco insists he is funding his own birthday party. "Most people join politics to get rich. I came to politics after I was rich and had everything I wanted." He says he takes no extra privileges from the government, and even drives around in his own Mercedes Benz.

posted by sajit @ 4:51 PM