Remembering Atal Bihari Vajpayee, The Tallest Stateman

By: EjazUlHaqBhat

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The nation today honours the legacy of Bharat Ratna awardee and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 100th birth anniversary

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A towering statesman, poet, and orator, Vajpayee was a leader who left an indelible mark on Indian politics and society

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Atal Bihari Vajpayee, served as India's prime minister three times: briefly for 13 days in 1996, for 13 months in 1998 and 1999, and full-time from 1999 to 2004

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His tenure saw transformational initiatives like the Kisan Credit Card, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and the National Rural Health Program.

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In 2014, the newly elected BJP announced that former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary will be commemorated as Good Governance Day

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In 2015, he was honoured India's highest civilian award- Bharat Ratna

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He is widely celebrated for elevating the BJP to national prominence and steering India through major political and economic reforms

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Vajpayee also served as external affairs minister in 1977 under Morarji Desai's Janata Party government

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After the collapse of Morarji Desai-led Janta Party, Vajpayee established the Bhartiya Janata Party in 1980, becoming its first president

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Vajpayee was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1957 from Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur 

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