Modi-Vajpayee bonding goes back to over three decades; Vajpayee faith in Modi unparalleled

New Delhi, Aug 17: This could be a surprise to many that why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is present at every moment that counts being a family member of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee right from the time of his illness to his admission at AIIMS to his demise to paying last respect at his Krishna Menon Marg residence to central BJP office at Deen Dayal Upadhyah Marg. There is a deep rooted understanding and respect that goes beyond over three decades.

The PM himself acknowledged his blessings, help, support, recognition and chance in the making of Narendra Modi. But many naysayers could still doubt despite the occasion being when people refrain from talking about uncomfortable truths of life if at all there are some but relations between the present Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister have been really special with mutual understanding and commitment to the cause. There are many testimony to it. A former RSS Pracharak having very close links with a political family in Uttar Pradesh was with the media cell of the BJP led by former Rajya Sabha MP and journalist Dina Nath Mishra. The incumbent Prime Minister was general secretary (organisation) of the BJP in 1998 along with other general secretaries like Pramod Mahajan, K N Govindacharya, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley.

Former RSS pracharak Shivendra Singh told One India that Vajpayee was very well aware of the capabilities Modi and he was so fond of him that as long as Modi is not present in the meeting he never started proceedings in the meeting. He told One India one incidence, "I was having my lunch with Modi ji at 11 Ashok Road kitchen in the back where Govindacharya and Kushabhau Thackerey used to live. Modi ji was asked that meeting is starting but he remained stuck with something and after 15 mines one worker of the office came calling him to say that Vajpayee ji is waiting for him to start the meeting with full house in the meeting room. Modi literally ran towards the meeting hall with this instruction."

There is a general understanding that so-called Vajpayee Group had Pramod Mahajan and Rajnath Singh by his side but truth was far different. He not only relied on Rajnath Singh to send him to UP as its CM but also send Narendra Modi to Gujarat who unlike Rajnath Singh did not have any legislative experience forget about running the government. Shivendra says, "Modi has never been tentative in his approach and had always an alternative plans be it in the matter of organisation or governance. This is what Vajpayee ji liked about him so he took a calculated risk of sending a person to deal with the crisis in Gujarat that a seasoned politician like Kesu Bhai Patel failed to deal with."

In the aftermath of Godhara riots, not only Modi but Vajpayee ji too was under tremendous pressure and half truth of video clipping suggesting Modi to follow his Rajdharma was being shown but Vajpayye's support to him was rock solid with the belief that as a constitutional guardian of a state he was chief minister to all irrespective of their faith. Political analyst further say, "Vajpayee did not mince worlds and said whatever he wished to albeit in his own style as he answered about Advani ji after taking retirement from active politics that the BJP will fight election in the leadership oo Advani (Aadvani ke netratv me sankhnad). So if he had any problem with Modi, why he did not made it public?"

Shivendra Singh said that had there been any disagreement with Advani on the issue of Modi about him being removed, there was no one in the party or the government who could have stopped him. Modi knows all this very well. Modi neither missed any chance nor an occasion to get his blessing without considering the fact that Vajpayee stopped recognizing people of late due to his deteriorating health. So the understanding between Modi and Vajpayee was unparalleled which is reflecting even today.