Atal's legacy inspires Modi's socio-economic overhaul

Honouring former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birthday, it brings to mind the inception of the Bharatiya Janata Party, a result of his dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice. The party, under the leadership of his favoured successor Narendra Modi, ascended to power and embarked on a steadfast journey in Indian politics. How effective has their pursuit of a socioeconomic revolution been? This echoes the expectations placed on every successor within a family.

- ALOK MEHTA

In 2001, Atal ji identified Narendra Modi as a bright and dedicated individual committed to the organization, society, and the nation, despite lacking prior experience in holding positions of power. Since then, Narendra Modi’s ascent from Chief Minister of Gujarat to Prime Minister in 2014 has seen remarkable achievements over the past decade.

I first encountered Atalji’s mindset, principles, and demeanour back in 1972 during my tenure as a correspondent at Hindusthan Samachar. At the time, there were only a handful of Jan Sangh MPs, among whom he stood out as a compelling orator and a seasoned leader known for his humble and warm disposition.

He resided at 1 Firoz Shah Road, while coincidentally; I lived in a section of the bungalow belonging to my Rajya Sabha MP from Ujjain, Sawai Singh Sisodia, at 5 Windsor Place (now the location of the Women’s Press Club) at the opposite end of the same road. During that era, establishing phone contact between these residences was somewhat challenging, although meeting political leaders for various activities wasn’t overly difficult.