LUCKNOW: On the day he was consigned to flames in a State funeral in the national Capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Uttar Pradesh announced that the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ashes would be immersed in rivers in all the districts of the state. Incidentally, UP is considered the former prime minister’s karmabhoomi (land of action) as he represented the state’s capital, Lucknow, in the Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms, in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.
The Yogi government put out a list of 75 districts and the small and big rivers picked for the immersion of the ashes of the BJP stalwart.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced this was being done so that the people of Vajpayee’s karmabhoomi also get an opportunity to be a part of the great leader’s final journey.
The BJP’s city unit will organise a condolence meeting on August 21, when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the current MP from Lucknow, and other leaders will pay homage to the departed leader.
Vajpayee’s connection with UP, particularly Lucknow, was very strong and its people remember him fondly.Vajpayee had a soft spot for ‘doodh ki barfi’ from a sweetmeat shop located in Old Lucknow, to the extent that after the BJP stalwart reduced his trips to Lucknow due to ill health, then veteran party leader from Uttar Pradesh Lalji Tandon took the sweets to him.
First became MP from UP
Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s journey as a member of Parliament started in Balrampur, where he won In 1957. He lost the election in 1962, but was re-elected from the Lok Sabha constituency in 1967. Balrampur lost its status as a Lok Sabha constituency following the delimitation exercise in 2008.
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