BJP stalwart and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee died on Thursday. He was 93.
BJP chief Amit Shah said the last rites of Vajpayee will take place at 4pm on Friday at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.
The central government has announced a seven-day mourning period across the country as a mark of respect to the departed leader. The national flag will fly at half mast throughout India and Indian missions abroad till August 22.
The mortal remains of the BJP veteran will be kept at his official residence in Krishna Menon Marg tonight to allow people to pay their homage. It would be taken to the BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg on Friday morning.
Vajpayee had been admitted at AIIMS in New Delhi since June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion. Senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu as well as senior BJP ministers had visited him in the hospital.
Vajpayee first entered Parliament in 1957 and soon earned fame for his oratory. He first became prime minister in 1996 but resigned 13 days later as the BJP did not have a majority in Parliament. Vajpayee led coalitions to victory in 1998 and 1999, effectively emerging as the tallest political leader in the country. Vajpayee conducted nuclear tests in 1998, but also took steps to boost ties with Pakistan.
After the downfall of the NDA in the 2004 general elections, Vajpayee refused to take up the position of the leader of the opposition in Parliament. In December 2005, Vajpayee announced his retirement from active politics, declaring that he would not contest the next general election. In a famous statement at the BJP’s silver jubilee rally at Mumbai’s historic Shivaji Park, Vajpayee announced that, “Henceforth, Lal Krishna Advani and Pramod Mahajan will be the Ram-Laxman of the BJP.”
Vajpayee is survived by his foster-daughter Namita Bhattacharya, whose husband Ranjan, was a key aide during his term as prime minister.