Vajpayee turns 85; Prez, VP, PM greet him

New Delhi, Dec 25 (PTI) Former Indian Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Thursday turned 85, but there were no
birthday celebrations in view of last month's Mumbai terror
attacks.

President Pratibha Patil was among the first to send
greetings to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran,
Rastrapathi Bhawan sources said. She sent flowers and
greetings to Vajpayee, they said.

Vice President Hamid Ansari sent flowers to the former
PM's residence, BJP sources said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh drove to the
octogenarian leader's Krishna Menon Marg residence here to
wish him on his 85th birthday. Singh was with Vajpayee for
about 15 minutes.

Leader of Opposition and Vajpayee's longtime colleague
L K Advani also went to the former Prime Minister's residence
to express his birthday wishes, BJP sources said.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh, senior party leader Jaswant
Singh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri, former BJP
president Bangaru Laxman, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautaula and
former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra also wished
Vajpayee.

Several other leaders from BJP, its NDA allies and
those from other parties also sent bouquets and birthday
wishes to Vajpayee, who was born on this day in 1924.

Vajpayee had expressed his desire a couple of days ago
not to celebrate his birthday in view of the terror strikes in
Mumbai.

Former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khuarana, who
met the BJP veteran briefly, later told reporters that he had
requested the former PM to contest the coming Lok Sabha
elections from Lucknow.

"He merely nodded to the suggestion and did not say
anything more," Khurana said. PTI RC
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