PM Modi, Shah, Rajnath visit Vajpayee on his birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, paid a visit to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 93rd birthday, on Monday.

Both the leaders reached Vajpayee's residence at Krishna Menon Marg in Delhi to wish the former on the special day.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi as well as other major political entities including President Ram Nath Kovind and Defence Minsiter N Sitharaman took to Twitter to extend their wishes to Vajpayee.

A political persona known for his exemplary leadership and contribution to Indian politics, Vajpayee is the only non-Congress leader who served the nation as the Prime Minister and completed the full five-year term from 1999 to 2004.

A parliamentarian for over four decades, Vajpayee has been elected to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament of India) ten times, and twice to the Rajya Sabha (upper house).

He retired from active politics due to health concerns.

On 27 March 2015, the President of India conferred Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour to Vajpayee.

In a special gesture, the Narendra Modi-led government in 2014 announced that Vajpayee's birthday would be celebrated as Good Governance Day annually.