VIJAYAWADA: Condoling the death of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that the demise of the former Prime Minister was a great loss to the nation.
Describing Vajpayee as a great humanitarian, statesman, poet, ideologist, orator, who followed the principles he believed in until his last breath, Naidu said that as an MP, Leader of the Opposition, External Affairs Minister and Prime Minister, Vajpayee played a crucial role and stood as role model for several leaders.
Naidu described Vajpayee as a great parliamentarian who served for four decades. Asserting that Vajpayee developed infrastructure in all States, Naidu said half of the roads that were laid during the last 32 years were laid during the five-year tenure of Vajpayee.
Stating that Vajpayee was instrumental in strengthening the BJP which was confined to two seats in 1984 to 270 seats at present, he recalled that though Vajpayee offered eight cabinet berths to the TDP in his government, the party stayed away from the Union Cabinet and extended support from outside.
With regard to the support extended by Vajpayee towards the combined AP, Naidu mentioned that development of National Highway from Tada to Ichapuram happened during the regime of Vajpayee. He was also instrumental in sanctioning of World Bank funds to Velugu project, 50,000 tonnes rice under food for work scheme, micro-irrigation, Information Technology development in Hyderabad, the international airport at Shamshabad, outer ring road and Golden Quadrilateral.
Naidu recalled that he played key role in selecting APJ Abdul Kalam as a Presidential candidate by discussing with Vajpayee. “Initially, Vajpayee differed with my suggestion and favoured the candidature of PC Alexander. However, later, he agreed with my opinion and accepted Kalam’s candidature for the President post,” he said. The Chief Minister said that personally and politically, he had strong attachment with Vajpayee. “He respected me and I never misused it,” he said.
Though the TDP and BJP are at loggerheads for some months, leaders of the yellow party were seen offering tributes to the former Prime Minister at their party offices in Guntur and other parts of the State.
Naidu tweets: “We have lost one of the greatest visionaries the nation has seen, on this unfortunate day. The beloved former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji will continue to inspire us and the generations to come. May he rest in peace.’’
TDP general secretary and Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh, condoling the death of Vajpayee, said that India had lost one of its greatest sons with the demise of Vajpayee, whose contribution to politics, literature and diplomacy remains unmatched. He said that people of Telugu States have lost their friend Vajpayee, who along with Chandrababu Naidu played a key role in shaping their aspirations.
In the condolence message, Lokesh, quoting a poem penned by Vajpayee, said that it is rare to have poetry and politics in one person.“But, Vajpayee, who won the hearts of people as best Parliamentarian and best poet, stood exceptionally,” Lokesh said.
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