New Delhi: President A P J Abdul Kalam, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi led a galaxy of leaders in greeting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 79th birthday today (Dec 25, 2003).

The President spent about half an hour with Prime Minister and presented him a bouquet.

Shekhawat and his wife, Advani and his wife Kamala Advani were among the first ones to extend their greetings to Vajpayee.

Former President R Venkatraman also drove down to Prime Minister's official residence to greet him.

Several former Prime Ministers including P V Narasimha Rao, who was recently acquitted by a court in Lakhubhai Pathak case, also wished Vajpayee. Chandrashekar, H D Devegowda and I K Gujral were among those who greeted Vajpayee.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi greeted the Prime Minister through the telephone.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, who led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a spectacular victory in the State, wished him on the occasion.

Several members of the Union Council of Ministers including Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha, Sahib Singh Verma and Ravi Shanker Prasad and top BJP leaders including party M Venkaiah Naidu, Pramod Mahajan and Madan Lal Khurana also wished Prime Minister on the occasion.