Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian statesman and poet who served three times as Prime Minister of India, in 1996, from 1998 to 1999 and from 1999 to 2004. A co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he was the first Prime Minister from outside the Congress to complete a full five-year term. His tenure saw the 1998 nuclear tests, the Lahore bus diplomacy with Pakistan, the Kargil War and major infrastructure programmes. Admired across party lines for his oratory and moderation, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2015.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Born | 25 December 1924, Gwalior, India |
| Died | 16 August 2018, New Delhi (aged 93) |
| Office | 10th Prime Minister of India (1996; 1998–2004) |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (co-founder) |
| Education | Victoria College, Gwalior; MA in Political Science, DAV College, Kanpur |
| Constituency | Lucknow (Lok Sabha) |
| Family | Never married; adopted daughter Namita |
| Honours | Padma Vibhushan (1992), Bharat Ratna (2015) |
| Remembered on | 25 December, Good Governance Day |
Early Life
Vajpayee was born in Gwalior, the son of a schoolteacher and poet, Krishna Bihari Vajpayee. He studied at Victoria College in Gwalior and earned a master’s degree in political science in Kanpur. He joined the RSS as a young man and was briefly arrested during the Quit India Movement in 1942. He then worked as a journalist for nationalist publications.
Political Career
Jana Sangh
Vajpayee was a founding member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951. In 1957 he entered the Lok Sabha from Balrampur, and his speeches soon impressed even Jawaharlal Nehru, who is said to have predicted that the young MP would one day become Prime Minister. He was jailed during the Emergency.
Foreign Minister and BJP founder
As External Affairs Minister in the Janata government from 1977 to 1979, Vajpayee became the first person to address the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi. In 1980 he co-founded the BJP with L. K. Advani and served as its first president.
Prime Minister
Vajpayee first became Prime Minister in May 1996, but his government lasted only 13 days. He returned in March 1998 at the head of the National Democratic Alliance. That government fell by a single vote in April 1999, but he won the election that followed. His governments:
He completed a full term before the NDA lost the 2004 election.
Poet and Orator
Vajpayee was a celebrated Hindi poet. His collections include Meri Ikyavan Kavitayen. His speeches, full of wit and warmth, earned him respect across the political spectrum.
Personal Life and Death
Vajpayee never married. He adopted Namita, the daughter of a close friend, and raised her as his own. After a stroke in 2009 he withdrew from public life. He died at AIIMS in New Delhi on 16 August 2018, aged 93, and his memorial, Sadaiv Atal, stands in Delhi.
Legacy and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Atal Bihari Vajpayee born?
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on 25 December 1924 in Gwalior, India.
When did Atal Bihari Vajpayee die?
Died: 16 August 2018, New Delhi (aged 93).
What honours has Atal Bihari Vajpayee received?
Padma Vibhushan (1992), Bharat Ratna (2015).
