Vajpayee, Atal Behari (1926– )

Indian politician, prime minister in 1996 and 1998–2004. Leader of the liberal wing of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he served as prime minister for 13 days during May 1996 and, heading a minority administration, from March 1998 until his party was unexpectedly defeated in elections in 2004 that he had called early with the expectation of victory. As prime minister, he called for national ‘reconciliation and accord’, but also controversially sanctioned India's nuclear tests. This led to international sanctions, and to Pakistan conducting nuclear tests in response.

Born in Gwalior, in north-central India, Vajpayee joined the militant Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1941, and was a founder member of the right-wing Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, and the BJP in 1980. A member of the Indian parliament from 1957, he was foreign minister 1977–79 in the Janata party coalition government of Morarji Desai, and opposition leader from 1993.