Vajpayee's efforts for making prosperous India will be remembered forever: PM Modi

New Delhi, Dec 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid rich tributes to former prime minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary.

Vajpayee's visionary leadership saw the country's development reach unprecedented heights, he said in a tweet.

"His efforts for making a strong and prosperous India will be remembered forever," Modi said.

Born in 1924, Vajpayee was a founder member of the Jana Sangh and then the BJP, a party which rose from the margins to rule India for the first time in 1990s with him being its main face.

His tenure is credited with ushering in a fresh wave of liberalisation, boosting growth and infrastructure.

A Lok Sabha release said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee, elected ten times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha, "was a parliamentarian par excellence, who had the trust, affection and belief of the people in his leadership".

"As a parliamentarian and particularly as Prime Minister, Atalji made innumerable contributions which paved the way for a stronger economy through bold reforms and rapid development of infrastructure. Atalji also distinguished himself as a fine statesman and a world leader," the release said.

The late leader was conferred Bharat Ratna in 2015. He had also been awarded Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Award for Best Parliamentarian in 1994. It will be Atal Bihari Vajpayee' 96th birth anniversary this year.