New Delhi: Atal Bihari Vajpayee celebrates his 81st birthday on Sunday. At a time when the BJP has seen several highs and lows, Vajpayee remains an enigma.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee continues to be a force to reckon with within the party. Over the last 25 years Vajpayee ensured that he became acceptable to all.
The hardliners within the Sangh as well as the moderates within the NDA, it was this skill, which his friend, the outgoing BJP chief L K Advani, lacked.
"Leaders are made. They work hard and they continue to work at it. But more importantly they need to have luck as well," JP Mathur, founding member, Bhartiya Jan Sangha said.
Throughout his political journey there were many instances when Vajpayee took a line, which was contradictory to that of the entire Sangh Parivar. A day after the Babri Masjid was demolished; he described it as the saddest day in his life. After that on many occasions he hailed the Ram temple movement as a cornerstone for the BJP.
When he became the Prime Minister he tried to take the BJP onto a liberal path, which was not acceptable to the elders in the RSS. It was this difference, which came to the fore in the aftermath of the Godhra riots when he wanted the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi sacked, something not acceptable to the hardliners within the Sangh.
"Both Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani are a source of inspiration to the party and will always continue to show us the right way," Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP Rajya Sabha MP said.
In the recent times the BJP has seen several controversies, but Vajpayee has always managed to keep himself away from those. Now as the party readies itself to celebrate its silver jubilee it is his legacy that has almost become an unbeatable one.
Meanwhile, the BJP prepares to celebrate Vajpayee’s 81st birthday as 'Sankalp Diwas'.
"Seminars and meetings would be held throughout Uttar Prdesh in which people would be apprised about the working of the Congress and BJP governments," party spokesman H N Dixit said.
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