Vajpayee leads mourners
Several senior BJP leaders leave for Mumbai to attend the funeral

OFFERING CONDOLENCES: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee paying tributes to Pramod Mahajan at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

NEW DELHI: Led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, several senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and workers assembled at the party's headquarters here on Ashoka Road on Wednesday evening and paid tributes to senior party leader Pramod Mahajan who passed away in Mumbai after battling for life for 12 days.

As news of Mr. Mahajan's death spread, shocked party leaders, workers and a large number of media persons descended on the office where the party's flag was lowered as a mark of respect for the departed leader. A condolence meeting was held at the office where BJP leaders shared thoughts about their association with Mr. Mahajan and his contributions for the growth of the party.

A photograph of Mr. Mahajan was placed at the office auditorium where workers and the public paid floral tributes and penned condolence messages on a notebook kept there. A small photo exhibition was also put up at the office premises displaying pictures of Mr. Mahajan at election rallies, press conferences and meeting various leaders and workers.

Prominent among those who visited the party headquarters included senior leaders V.K. Malhorta, O.P. Kohli, Kedarnath Sahni, J.P. Mathur, B.C. Khanduri and Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Congress MP Jagdish Tytler besides Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav and Gandhian leader and Rajya Sabha MP Nirmala Deshpande also paid tributes at the party office.

Terming it as a huge loss for the party and the nation, leaders and workers remembered the party's general secretary as a leader who toiled hard to ensure pan-India growth of the BJP.

After paying tributes, several senior BJP leaders left the party office to fly to Mumbai to attend the funeral on Thursday.

A few of Mr. Mahajan's supporters along with some presspersons also visited his official residence on Safdarjung Road. However, they were not allowed inside the bungalow by the security guards posted there who claimed that no family member was present.

Meanwhile, a `Shanti Path' will be organised at the Ashoka Road party headquarters at 11-30 a.m. on Thursday.