Friday, January 20 2006 16:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Hailing the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Rajnath Singh, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (Jan 20, 2006) characterised his appointment as a transition from a crisis since the party's electoral rout in 2004.

"There is a change in climate. Snow is melting away and the sun is changing its course", Vajpayee remarked as he developed his trademark literary imagery to welcome Singh's appointment as a new beginning for the party.

"A new beginning has ushered in. It's a transition from a crisis, a change for good," the former Prime Minister said after the BJP ratified Singh's appointment as its new president.

Despite his comments on the BJP's condition before the leadership change, Vajpayee also praised former party president L K Advani for his term as party president.

He thanked the former Deputy Prime Minister for his 'guidance' to the party as its head.

In his presidential speech to the party, Singh also referred to Vajpayee a number of times, recalling the NDA government's foreign, economic and domestic policies.

Also, the news BJP chief recounted senior party leader Murli Manhohar Joshi's tricolour hoisting in 1993 at Srinagar's dreaded Lal Chowk as an unprecedented act of courage.

Singh referred to Advani for his Ram temple movement in 1989.