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Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Former PM's 97th birth anniversary today
Since 2014, the occasion has been celebrated annually as Good Governance Day.
The nation will on Saturday observe the 97th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was born on December 25, 1924. Since 2014, Vajpayee's birth anniversary has been celebrated annually as Good Governance Day.
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Born in Gwalior in present-day Madhya Pradesh, the late former Prime Minister was an eloquent speaker and prolific writer, and is known for his poems, most of which he authored in Hindi. Vajpayee, who was an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and later, the RSS-affiliated Jana Sangh, held several important portfolios throughout his political career, including the all-important minister of external affairs.
In 1980, Vajpayee co-founded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with close associate and, later, his deputy PM, Lal Krishna Advani. In 1996, he became the country's first PM from the BJP. However, his first term ended after just 16 days.
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The BJP stalwart would go on to hold the post for a further two terms, from 1998-1999, and later, a full five-year stint from 1999-2004. Two major highlights of the second term were the Pokharan nuclear test in 1998, and the Kargil War in the following year.
However, in 2004, the BJP suffered a defeat in that year's general elections. In the years to come, Vajpayee retired from politics and public life. In 2015, he was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's top civilian honour.
On August 16, 2018, the veteran politician breathed his last after being hospitalised that June in critical condition following a kidney infection.
