Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 25 (ANI): Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal on Tuesday recalled the contributions of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee towards the nation and said his life is a source of inspiration for the party.

"Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ideals are our guide, we are celebrating Good Governance Day on the occasion of his birth anniversary today," Samal told ANI.

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"The centenary celebrations are starting from today on the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, under which various programs will be organized for for one year... In this, there will be a discussion about good governance in villages, cities," he added.

Earlier in the day, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated a photo exhibition on Vajpayee's 100th birth anniversary.

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Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled a statue of Vajpayee in Sambalpur.

"Good Governance Day is being celebrated in the country today. On this auspicious occasion, the statue of Atal Ji was unveiled in Sambalpur today. He played a big role in the development of Odisha. He has visited Sambalpur a lot. I wish everyone on this occasion," he told reporters.

Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

He was Prime Minister for a short period in 1996 and then for two consecutive terms between March 19, 1998 and May 2004.

He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979.

He passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018. (ANI)

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