Vajpayee

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian statesman, poet, and journalist who played a central role in post-independence Indian politics. A founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the precursor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vajpayee had a long parliamentary career and held several ministerial posts. He was briefly detained during the Emergency (1975–1977) before returning to government.

He served as India’s Minister of External Affairs in the Janata Party government of 1977–1979, and later rose to prime ministership. He served as prime minister for two non-consecutive terms: a short first term in 1996 lasting 13 days, followed by a full five-year term from 1998 to 2004 leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

His government pursued economic reforms, and in 1998 India conducted the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, establishing itself as a nuclear power. He also attempted to ease tense relations with Pakistan through diplomacy, including the Lahore bus journey in 1999.

Vajpayee was widely regarded for his oratorical skills and poetic sensibility; he wrote and spoke in Hindi and was known for concise, poignant speeches. He never married and remained a private figure outside politics. In 2015, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, for his contributions to public life.

He died in New Delhi in August 2018 after a long illness, leaving a legacy as a statesman who sought dialogue and national advancement.