Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Biography

Atal Bihari Vajpayee
A Profile

Former Prime Minister

Shri Vajpayee was Prime Minister of India from May 16-31, 1996 and a second time from March 19, 1998 to May 13, 2004. With his swearing-in as Prime Minister, he has been the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to occupy the office of the Prime Minister of India through three successive mandates. Shri Vajpayee has also been the first Prime Minister since Smt. Indira Gandhi to lead his party to victory in successive elections.

Born on December 25, 1924 at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh to Shri Krishna Bihari Vajpayee and Smt. Krishna Devi, Shri Vajpayee brings with him a long parliamentary experience spanning over four decades. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1957. He was elected to the 5th, 6th and 7th Lok Sabha and again to the 10th, 11th 12th and 13th Lok Sabha and to Rajya Sabha in 1962 and 1986. He has again been elected to Parliament from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh for the fifth time consecutively. He is the only parliamentarian elected from four different States at different times namely - UP, Gujarat, MP and Delhi.

Elected leader of the National Democratic Alliance, which is a pre-election coming together of political parties from different regions of the country and which enjoyed a comfortable backing and support of the elected Members of the 13th Lok Sabha, Shri Vajpayee was earlier elected leader of his own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary party which has also again emerged as the single largest party in the 13th Lok Sabha as was the case in the 12th Lok Sabha.

Educated at Victoria (now Laxmi Bai) College, Gwalior and DAV College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Shri Vajpayee holds an M.A (Political Science) degree and has many literary, artistic and scientific accomplishments to his credit. He edited Rashtradharma (a Hindi monthly), Panchjanya (a Hindi weekly) and the dailies Swadesh and Veer Arjun. His published works include "Meri Sansadiya Yatra" (in four volumes), "Meri Ikkyavan Kavitayen", "Sankalp Kaal", "Shakti-se-Shanti", "Four Decades in Parliament" (speeches in three volumes), 1957-95, "Lok Sabha mein Atalji" (a collection of speeches); Mrityu Ya Hatya", "Amar Balidan", "Kaidi Kaviraj Ki Kundalian" (a collection of poems written in jail during Emergency); "New Dimensions of India's Foreign Policy" (a collection of speeches delivered as External Affairs Minister during 1977-79); "Jan Sangh Aur Mussalman"; "Sansad Mein Teen Dashak" (Hindi) (speeches in Parliament - 1957-1992 - three volumes; and "Amar Aag Hai" (a collection of poems) 1994.

Shri Vajpayee has participated in various social and cultural activities. He has been a Member of the National Integration Council since 1961. Some of his other associations include - (i) President, All India Station Masters and Assistant Station Masters Association (1965-70); (ii) Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Smarak Samiti (1968-84); (iii) Deen Dayal Dham, Farah, Mathura, U.P; and (iv) Janmabhomi Smarak Samiti, 1969 onwards.

Founder-member of the erstwhile Jana Sangh (1951), President, Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1968-1973), leader of the Jana Sangh parliamentary party (1955-1977) and a founder-member of the Janata Party (1977-1980), Shri Vajpayee was President, BJP (1980-1986) and the leader of BJP parliamentary party during 1980-1984, 1986 and 1993-1996. He was Leader of the Opposition throughout the term of the 11th Lok Sabha. Earlier, he was India's External Affairs Minister in the Morarji Desai Government from March 24, 1977 to July 28, 1979.

Widely respected within the country and abroad as a statesman of the genre of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Shri Vajpayee's 1998-99 stint as Prime Minister has been characterised as 'one year of courage of conviction'. It was during this period that India entered a select group of nations following a series of successful nuclear tests at Pokharan in May 1998. The bus journey to Pakistan in February 1999 was widely acclaimed for starting a new era of negotiations to resolve the outstanding problems of the sub-continent. India's honesty made an impact on the world community. Later, when this gesture of friendship turned out to be a betrayal of faith in Kargil, Shri Vajpayee was also hailed for his successful handling of the situation in repulsing back the intruders from the Indian soil. It was during Shri Vajpayee's 1998-99 tenure that despite a global recession, India achieved 5.8 per cent GDP growth, which was higher than the previous year. Higher agricultural production and increase in foreign exchange reserves during this period were indicative of a forward-looking economy responding to the needs of the people. "We must grow faster. We simply have no other alternative" has been Shri Vajpayee's slogan focussing particularly on economic empowerment of the rural poor. The bold decisions taken by his Government for strengthening rural economy, building a strong infrastructure and revitalising the human development programmes, fully demonstrated his Government's commitment to a strong and self-reliant nation to meet the challenges of the next millennium to make India an economic power in the 21st century. Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 52nd Independence Day, he had said, "I have a vision of India : an India free of hunger and fear, an India free of illiteracy and want."

Shri Vajpayee has served on a number of important Committees of Parliament. He was Chairman, Committee on Government Assurances (1966-67); Chairman, Public Accounts Committee (1967-70); Member, General Purposes Committee (1986); Member, House Committee and Member, Business Advisory Committee, Rajya Sabha (1988-90); Chairman, Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha (1990-91); Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Lok Sabha (1991-93); Chairman, Standing Committee on External Affairs (1993-96).

Shri Vajpayee participated in the freedom struggle and went to jail in 1942. He was detained during Emergency in 1975-77.

Widely travelled, Shri Vajpayee has been taking a keen interest in international affairs, upliftment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, women and child welfare. Some of his travels abroad include visits such as - Member, Parliamentary Goodwill Mission to East Africa, 1965; Parliamentary Delegation to Australia, 1967; European Parliament, 1983; Canada, 1987; Indian delegation to Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meetings held in Canada, 1966 and 1994, Zambia, 1980, Isle of Man 1984, Indian delegation to Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Japan, 1974; Sri Lanka, 1975; Switzerland, 1984; Indian Delegation to the UN General Assembly, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994; Leader, Indian Delegation to the Human Rights Commission Conference, Geneva, 1993.

Shri Vajpayee was conferred Padma Vibhushan in 1992 in recognition of his services to the nation. He was also conferred the Lokmanya Tilak Puruskar and the Bharat Ratna Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Award for the Best Parliamentarian, both in 1994. Earlier, the Kanpur University honoured him with an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in 1993.

Well known and respected for his love for poetry and as an eloquent speaker, Shri Vajpayee is known to be a voracious reader. He is fond of Indian music and dance.


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Father's Name Shri Krishna Bihari Vajpayee
Date of Birth 25 December 1924
Place of Birth Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh)
Marital Status Unmarried
Educational Qualifications M.A. (Political Science) Educated at Victoria (now Laxmibai) College, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) and D.A.V. College, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
Profession Journalist and Social Worker
Permanent Address A-302, Laplaz, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) Tel. (0522) 220909
Present Address 6-A, Krishna Menon Marg, New Delhi-110011

Positions Held
1951 Founder-Member, Bharatiya Jana Sangh (B.J.S)
1957 Elected to 2nd Lok Sabha
1957-77 Leader, Bharatiya Jana Sangh Parliamentary Party
1962 Member, Rajya Sabha
1966-67 Chairman, Committee on Government Assurances
1967 Re-elected to 4th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
1967-70 Chairman, Public Accounts Committee
1968-73 President, B.J.S.
1971 Re-elected to 5th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
1977 Re-elected to 6th Lok Sabha (4th term)
1977-79 Union Cabinet Minister, External Affairs
1977-80 Founder- Member, Janata Party
1980 Re-elected to 7th Lok Sabha (5th term)
1980-86 President, Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.)
1980-84, 1986 and 1993-96 Leader, B.J.P. Parliamentary Party

1986 Member, Rajya Sabha
Member, General Purposes Committee
1988-90 Member, House Committee
Member, Business Advisory Committee
1990-91 Chairman, Committee on Petitions
1991 Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (6th term)
1991-93 Chairman, Public Accounts Committee
1993-96 Chairman, Committee on External Affairs
Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha
1996 Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (7th term)
16 May 1996 -31 May 1996

Prime Minister of India; Minister of External Affairs and also incharge of Ministries/Departments of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Coal, Commerce, Communications, Environment and Forests, Food Processing Industries, Human Resource Development, Labour, Mines, Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Planning and Programme Implementation, Power, Railways, Rural Areas and Employment, Science and Technology, Steel, Surface Transport, Textiles, Water Resources,Atomic Energy, Electronics, Jammu & Kashmir Affairs, Ocean Development, Space and other subjects not allocated to any other Cabinet Minister

1996-97 Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha
1997-98 Chairman, Committee on External Affairs
1998 Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (8th term)
1998-99 Prime Minister of India; Minister of External Affairs; and also incharge of Ministries/Department not specifically allocated to the charge of any Minister
1999 Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (9th term)
13 Oct.1999 to 13 May 2004 Prime Minister of India and also in charge ofthe Ministries/Departments not
specifically allocated to the charge of any Minister

Books Published
Lok Sabha Mein Atalji (a collection of speeches); Mrityu Ya Hatya, Amar Balidan, Kaidi Kavirai Ki Kundalian (a collection of poems written in jail during Emergency); New Dimensions of India's Foreign Policy (a collection of speeches delivered as External Affairs Minister during 1977-79); Jana Sangh Aur Musalman; Three Decades in Parliament (Speeches in three volumes); Amar Aag Hai(a collection of poems) 1994; Meri Ekyavan Kavitayen; Four Decades in Parliament (English)-4 Volumes of Speeches in Parliament, 1957-95

Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments

Editor, (i) Rashtra-Dharma-monthly (ii) Panchajanya-weekly;
Swadesh and Veer Arjun, both dailies

Social and Cultural Activities

Member, National Integration Council since 1961; President (i) All India Station Masters and Assistant Station Masters Association, 1965-70; (ii) Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Samarak Samiti, 1968-84; (iii) Deendayal Dham, Farah, Mathura, U.P.; and (iv) Janmabhoomi Smarak Samiti, 1969 onwards

Special Interests

International affairs; uplift of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; and woman and child welfare

Favourite Pastime and Recreation

Reading, writing, travelling and cooking

Countries Visited

Widely travelled; Member, (i)Parliamentary Goodwill Mission to East Africa, 1965;(ii)Parliamentary Delegation to Australia, 1967; European Parliament, 1983; Canada, 1987;(iii) Indian Delegation to Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meetings held in Canada, 1966 and 1994, Zambia 1980, Isle of Man 1984; (iv)Indian Delegation to Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Japan, 1974; Sri Lanka, 1975; Switzerland, 1984; (v) Indian Delegation to the UN - General Assembly, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996; and (vi) Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Bulgaria, 1997; Leader, Indian Delegation to Human Rights Commission Meeting, Geneva, 1993; and Delegation of Standing Committees of External Affairs to Gulf countries- Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait

Other Information

Participated in Freedom Struggle and went to jail in 1942; detained during Emergency in 1975-77; was awarded Padma Vibhushan by President of India in recognition of his services to the Nation; Conferred, (i)Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by Kanpur University,1993; (ii) Lok Manya Tilak Puruskar, 1994; (iii) Bharat Ratna Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Award for Best Parliamentarian, 1994