HYDERABAD: Not many know that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who died on Thursday, was a strong and loud voice in the bylanes of the Old City way back in the seventies and eighties, much before the BJP evolved from the Jana Sangh. Months after Emergency ended, opposition parties went all out in attacking the Congress and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Vajpayee, a union minister back then, was introduced to the local crowd gathered at Chadrayangutta. People had come from various corners of the erstwhile State, knowing that he was scheduled to speak. Current State BJP leaders, who were the party’s young turks back then, claim that even supporters of other parties used to sneak in to listen to Vajpayee speak.
Former BJP MLA Baddam Bal Reddy, who closely travelled with Vajpayee back then, recalls how the latter’s oratory enthralled the crowds around Charminar, Gulzar House, Shalibanda, Jummeraat Bazar, and Nizam grounds during poll season. Vajpayee extensively campaigned in Chadrayangutta, Barkas, and Musheerabad.
“His points of deliberation, in Barkas, were against the Emergency and Congress. We did not win that elections, but Vajpayee, who was the External Affairs Minister back then, cam down to the city to campaign with us. He addressed public rallies at RTC roads in Musheerabad in 1983,” Bal Reddy recalls, adding that he had driven the leader from Warangal to Hyderabad in his Ambassador car after a rally in 1986.
‘Atal was known for his quick wit’
His love for poetry coupled with his wit made Vajpayee the go-to leader, who gelled equally well with the juniors and senior.Vajpayee also exuded wit when it came to chiding fellow partymen. “In 2003, he pulled my leg on the stage during a national conference in Delhi. I had put my banners across his path of travel and he said ‘South India ka hero lagrahe ho’. He did not like it,” recalls Kishan Reddy who was then the national president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha(BJYM). He last visited the city in 2004, to campaign for general elections.
Nation has lost a great leader, says Governor
“Vajpayee will always be remembered as an astute leader who upheld democratic traditions and values. In his passing away the nation has lost a great leader, administrator and a wonderful human being,” the Governor said in his message on Thursday. The Governor said that Vajpayee was a great visionary, a statesman par excellence, a great orator, a poet and above all a great human being.”
BJP state chief recalls leader
BJPs Telangana unit president K Laxman said that Vajpayee was liked and respected cutting across party lines and the Pokhran nuclear test, victory in Kargil war and the Golden Quadrilateral road project were some of his great successes as PM
Vajpayee loved pulla reddy sweets
A foodie at heart, Vajpayee would not miss out on the local food that was in offing. “Local ka lagao” was his demand everytime he sat down for meals with us during his numerous visits to the Lake View guest house, recalls MLA G Kishan Reddy, adding that he was fond of delicacies from G Pulla Reddy sweets. “Once in 1984, his flight to Delhi was delayed and I proposed to take him to the residence of G Pulla Reddy. He immediately asked ‘are we going to Mithai Reddy’s residence?’ that was his love for the sweets prepared by them,” adds Dattatreya, MP.