Former Prime Minister and BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee,who has not been seen in public for over a year,turned 86 and spent a quiet birthday. Several leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Vajpayees Krishna Menon marg residence to personally greet the BJP veteran whose birthday coincides with Christmas. Functions were held in New Delhi and Lucknow to mark the occasion. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo M Karunanidhi sent a congratulatory message to Vajpayee,who held the post of prime minister thrice,of which two tenures did not last the full term. Senior BJP leader L K Advani,the new BJP Chief Nitin Gadkari and his predecessor Rajnath Singh and Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha-Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley-were among others leaders who greeted Vajpayee and wished him speed recovery. The BJP stalwart has not been keeping well for quite some time and did not contest the 2009 Lok Sabha election. Ex-Union Minister Vijay Goel and former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra also greeted the veteran Parliamentarian. Former Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Arun Shourie was the first senior leader to reach Vajpayees residence. Rajesh Gehlot,a self-confessed fan of Vajpayee,came with a 186-feet long roll of 160 posters to greet him. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa also met Vajpayee on the occasion. Vajpayees nephew Anup Mishra,who is a minister in Madhya Pradesh,also greeted the veteran leader.
