Former Prime Minister and BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on Monday. He was 93.
A role model for budding politicians, Vajpayee’s charisma cut across political lines, earning him friends from across the ideological spectrum.
The former prime minister was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.
Vajpayee, a diabetic, has only one functional kidney. He suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.
As his condition deteriorated earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a visit to AIIMS, second in the past two days. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and several other leaders visited him during the day. By DH
