Dailymirror,news,Hyderabad, December 25th, 2024: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of India’s most respected Prime Ministers, was born on December 25, 1924, in Shinde Ki Cantonment, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. His father was Shri Krishna Bihari Vajpayee, and his mother was Krishna Devi. He completed his early education in Gwalior and graduated from Victoria College. Vajpayee pursued a Master’s degree in Political Science from DAV College, Kanpur.

In an interesting twist of fate, Vajpayee studied law (LLB) alongside his father at DAV College. Both father and son graduated together and even shared the same hostel. Vajpayee’s time at DAV coincided with the fervor of the Quit India Movement in 1945, during which he actively participated, resulting in a 24-day imprisonment.

Vajpayee began his political journey with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and later became a prominent leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Over his illustrious career, he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha ten times and in the Rajya Sabha twice. Notably, he remains the only MP to have represented four states—Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

On April 6, 1980, Vajpayee was appointed the national president of the BJP. He first took the oath as India’s 10th Prime Minister on May 16, 1996, but stepped down due to a lack of majority. He returned as Prime Minister on March 19, 1998, and again on October 13, 1999, serving a full term. Earlier, in 1977, Vajpayee was appointed Foreign Minister in the Janata Party government, where he made history by delivering a speech in Hindi at the United Nations General Assembly.

Known for his visionary leadership, Vajpayee commanded respect across party lines. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, once remarked that Atal Bihari Vajpayee would someday become the Prime Minister of India a prediction that came true, cementing his legacy as one of the nation’s greatest statesmen.