Vajpayee quits active politics

New Delhi: The 'Bhishma Pitamaha' of BJP, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has asked his partymen to relieve him of active politics.

According to RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, the former prime minister who addressed an election rally in Uttar Pradesh in the fourth phase of the Assembly polls, has expressed his desire to quit active politics.

"Relieve me of active politics. It's enough, let me go," the editorial in the latest issue of the weekly journal quoted him as saying before joining the BJP's campaign in UP.

Vajpayee gave his consent to campaign in Uttar Pradesh after a lot of effort, Panchjanya says. Vajpayee was also to cast his vote in his constituency Lucknow, but had to abandon the plans due to health reasons.

It is not the first time, however, that Vajpayee has sought sanyas from politics. In December, 2005, Vajpayee had made the announcement to take sanyas from politics at a BJP rally at Mumbai's historic Shivaji Park during the party's silver jubilee celebrations.

The announcement had come days after RSS chief K Sudarshan's public appeal to both Vajpayee and Advani to quit politics and "let the wave of modern Hindutva flow."

Addressing the rally, Vajpayee had declared that he was retiring from active politics and will not contest elections in the future.

He also said that henceforth Lal Kishenchand Advani and Pramod Mahajan will be the Ram-Laxman of the party instead of Vajpayee and Advani. Unfortunately, Pramod Mahajan died the next year, having been shot by his own brother at his residence in Mumbai.

Narrating a story from the Ramayana, Vajpayee had told the rally that his role has become like that of Parshuram, who was angry over the breaking of Shiv Dhanush and wanted to take revenge.

"But when Parshuram came to know that Lord Ram has done it, he participated in Ram's coronation ceremony after his return to Ayodhya with Lakshman from his 14-year exile," he said.

Since, the veteran politician has been seen in the political landscape only on rare occasions. The former PM has also been confined to his residence of late due to health reasons.

The report on Panchjanya was, however, conspicuously courteous to Vajpayee this time as it described him as a rare "pragya purush (man of high intellect)" in India's political tradition.

Almost two years after Sudarshan's comments on Vajpayee, the Sangh organ has also written that the mere presence of the former prime minister in the electoral scene triggers massive confidence and hope. "At last, his presence (in Uttar Pradesh) remained a compelling necessity," it said.