Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's oratory skills enthralled the Indian masses as they witnessed some of the most momentous events in the nation's history
Modi quoted a poem by Vajpayee to express his feelings. It spoke of Vajpayee's lack of fear of death
The bonhomie between India and Pakistan did not last long as just months after Vajpayee's visit the Pakistan Army undertook a covert operation to send its troops into Kargil
The 93-year-old BJP stalwart was not only an eminent politician but was also an acclaimed wordsmith who wrote hundreds of poems
But in the short 13-month term of the second Vajpayee government, he made his mark by making India a declared nuclear weapon power
There is a stark contrast between the styles of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi, the two Prime Ministers the BJP has given to India
The only time he lost a Lok Sabha election was against Madhavrao Scindia of Congress from Gwalior in 1984, when he lost by a margin of close to 2 lakh votes
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was India's first non-Congress prime minister to last a full five-year term
Often critical of Nehru and Congress as an Opposition leader, Vajpayee as PM was Nehruvian in his breadth of vision, concern for parliamentary etiquette and considerate treatment of the Gandhi family
From arriving at Parliament on a bullock cart to protest fuel price hike to representing India at the UN as an Opposition leader, Vajpayee has left behind a political legacy that few can rival
Vajpayee's signature in politics was achieving pragmatic consensus, and in this process he earned the respect of his party, allies and opponents
Vajpayee, who joined the Rastriya Swamsevak Sangha (RSS) in 1947 rose through ranks to become a stalwart of the BJP and was the first non-Congress prime minister to complete a full term in office
Vajpayee is battling for life and remains on advanced life support at AIIMS for the second day
Several senior politicians visited AIIMS to inquire about the health of the 93-year-old leader
Vajpayee is under the supervision of Dr Randeep Guleria, a pulmonologist and currently the Director of AIIMS. Guleria has served as personal physician to Vajpayee for over three decades
The 93-year-old BJP leader, a diabetic, has one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities
The 93-year-old BJP leader, a diabetic, has one functional kidney
Vajpayee was admitted to the premier hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, chest congestion and the urine output on the lower side
Vajpayee, who has been ailing for long, was admitted for routine check-up and investigations at AIIMS
Special pujas were organised at Balrampur, from where he started his political career, said a well-wisher