By IANS
New Delhi : Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will watch a dance drama, “Mahabharat: Paason ka khel (Mahabharat: a game of dice)”, based on a poem composed by him to mark his 84th birthday Tuesday.
The play, organised by admirers and well-wishers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, will be held at the FICCI auditorium here in the evening.
Less than a fortnight ago Vajpayee had announced, through a written note, that since he was not keeping good health, he was unable to lead the party anymore and had anointed Leader of Opposition in Parliament, L.K. Advani as his successor and his BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Following the declaration, the BJP Parliamentary Board declared Advani as its prime ministerial candidate on Dec 10.
On Sunday, when results from Gujarat put the BJP in a buoyant mood, several party leaders and Vajpayee supporters, led chiefly by BJP president Rajnath Singh, went to his residence and handed him the BJP flag and shared the moments of triumph with him.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told IANS: “Except for his knee problem which makes it difficult for him to walk, he is fine.”
Notwithstanding this, Vajpayee will not be travelling to Ahmedabad on Tuesday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who secured an overwhelming mandate in the election results declared Sunday.
But since the Gujarat event coincides with Vajpayee’s birthday, the party has slightly rescheduled both the programmes, said Javadekar.
Advani and Rajnath Singh will call on Vajpayee at his Krishna Menon Marg residence around 10.30 a.m. and then take a chartered flight to Ahmedabad.
The swearing-in will be held at 1.50 p.m. at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad and immediately thereafter both Advani and Rajnath Singh will fly back to Delhi to attend the FICCI auditorium function along with Vajpayee, said Javadekar.