Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart and three-time prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the national capital on Thursday. Vajpayee was admitted to AIIMS in June and had been ill for a while.

Newspapers today have dedicated entire editions to Vajpayee. Here’s our selection of some of the headlines and editorials.

The Indian Express led with the headline: “A Nation’s Loss“. Recalling Vajpayee’s charismatic appeal, it remembered the 93-year-old as “the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full term in office at the head of a coalition he stitched together with his moderate politics and charismatic appeal.”

A front-page obituary by Coomi Kapoor stated that the “defining characteristics of the man was his humanism, humour, his love for poetry, food and music. And, above all, his pragmatism.”

The Express also had coverage of his legacy in terms of politics, foreign policy, governance, among others, on pages 6 through 12. The paper had several op-eds, including those written by Venkaiah Naidu and NK Singh. In its editorial, the paper referred to him as “the fine balancer of nationalism and Hindutva with liberalism” and stated that “there may not be many in his mould in his party today. But his playbook will endure.”

A piece by author Vinay Sitapati notes, “If Vajpayee’s instincts ended up liberal while working within the four corners of Hindu nationalism, it is Rajkumari Kaul that India must thank.”

The Hindustan Times led with the headline “Politics loses its poetry”, along with a spotlight on Vajpayee from page 10 through 12. In its editorial, “The Last Statesman”, the paper said that the former prime minister was a great unifier. Not only that, but he was also among the last of his breed, the paper stated. “At a time when India’s polity is deeply polarised, one can think wistfully of statesmen such as Vajpayee.”

An op-ed by India Today anchor Rajdeep Sardesai remembered Vajpayee as “the torchbearer of a gentler era”.

The Times of India led with the headline: “PM, Poet, Statesman, Gentleman”, even as its front-page greeted us with a jacket ad of a real estate company. Indeed business always comes first at TOI.

The paper also stated that he was a “much-loved moderate who brought the right to centre stage.” The paper also had on his four lasting legacies. It was titled: “The Art of Being Atal”.

TOI also covered “Passing of a Stateman” on pages 18 through 21, where he was remembered as the “High Priest Of Coalition Dharma”, “A Master Orator”, “A Leader For the Ages” and more.

In its editorial, the paper bid farewell to the former prime minister: “Atal, Farewell“. The editorial stated that Vajpayee may have given India its best years ever. Speaking about the reforms he brought, the paper wrote: “By launching trailblazing economic reforms that included boosting public spending in infrastructure especially highway development, unveiling telecom reforms that spurred competition, pursuing power sector revamp and disinvestment, Vajpayee deserves credit for India’s bull run that lasted the best part of the last decade.” He was also credited for enabling “Indian optimism in the 21st century in another sense.”

The Hindu’s headline stated: “Vajpayee, BJP’s gentle colossus, fades away”. In its editorial, the paper remembered him as “a brilliant parliamentarian”, “a shrewd politician” and a “torchbearer of Hindutva.” It stated: “Ever the contrarian, Vajpayee was equally the consensus-seeker and the alliance-builder who could traverse ideological divides and overcome political animosities with a skill set that was a throwback to the Nehruvian era.” In addition, Vajpayee was also “the elder statesman who was never afraid to reach out and make peace with India’s neighbours.” One of its op-ed remembered the 12-time Parliamentarian as “a large-hearted leader, always civil and never afraid to take tough decisions for India.”

The Telegraph led with the headline, “Rajdharma Reminder”, with the strap quoting Vajpayee: ‘If India is not secular, then India is not India at all. In its Opinion section, journalist Sankarshan Thakur said, “He aped Nehru’s style and liberal demeanour, he flirted with Gandhi’s ideology. He submitted himself, repeatedly and regularly, to shadowy creatures from Nagpur. His poetry was about irreverence, revolt; his politics was downright conformist, slave to survival and other daily conveniences.”

Hindi dailies like Dainik Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar too dedicated their editions to former PM.