As the nation commemorates the centennial of Vajpayee's birth, his legacy endures.

The centennial of Atal Bihari Vajpayee honors his important political accomplishments to India. He served a full term as India's first prime minister who was not a member of the Congress. Vajpayee continues to play an admirable role in Indo-Pakistan ties, coalition politics, and effective administration. He was a great statesman and orator who had a long-lasting effect on national policy and parliamentary democracy in India.Using his trademark flourish, Atal Bihari Vajpayee made one of his most well-known predictions during the BJP's first convention at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on December 30, 1980: "Andhera chhatega, suraj niklega, kamal khilega" (darkness will end, the sun will rise, lotus will bloom).

His remarks have held up well as the centennial of his birth approaches, with lotuses in full bloom and the BJP regaining control of the center for a third consecutive term.Vajpayee assisted the BJP in gaining traction when its cultural goal was viewed as anathema, if Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it the focal point of national politics.In a world full of powerful satraps, India's first non-Congress prime minister to serve a full term was a statesman politician and an unmatched orator who garnered admiration and respect from people on both sides of the political spectrum. He stood tall with his natural democratic spirit, which he had developed over decades of opposition.