Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passes away at 93

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Former prime minister and BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders, died here following prolonged illness today, (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) AIIMS hospital announced. He was 93. "It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of former Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at 5.05 pm," the hospital said in a statement.

The 93-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader was admitted at AIIMS on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

"Unfortunately, his condition has worsened over the last 24 hours. His condition is critical and he is on life-support system," the AIIMS said in the statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the AIIMS on Wednesday evening to enquire about the condition of Vajpayee. Modi reached the hospital at around 7.15 pm and spent about 50 minutes there. After Modi, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi also paid a visit.

Also read: Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Statesman Who Went Beyond BJP's Nationalist Political Agenda

Later in the night, several leaders and ministers including Suresh Prabhu, Jitendra Singh, Harsh Vardhan and Shahnawaz Hussain visited the hospital. Earlier in the evening, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani had visited the hospital to check on Vajpayee. Vajpayee, a diabetic, has only one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.

Senior politicians across party line have visited former PM at AIIMS in last two months. Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Veteran leader L.K. Advani, former PM Manmohan Singh, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, BJP Chief Amit Shah and others have visited Vajpayee at the hospital in the last month.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924 who thrice served as the Prime Minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, and then from 1998 to 2004.

Considered an iconic leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is known for his cultural moderation and liberalism. It was during his tenure that India successfully conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran and also started the New Delhi-Lahore bus service. Vajpayee was the first Indian prime minister not belonging to the Indian National Congress to serve a full five-year term. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not only an outstanding parliamentarian but also a renowned poet.

The Narendra Modi Government conferred India's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna on Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2014 and has declared his birthday to be marked as 'Good Governance Day'.

Vajpayee never married but he has adopted a daughter.

Also read: Atal Bihari Vajpayee A Bellwether Policy Reformer: Highways To Overseas Oilfield Acquisition

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