Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Vajpayee in 2002
10th Prime Minister of India
In office
19 March 1998 – 22 May 2004
• K. R. Narayanan
President • A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Deputy L. K. Advani
Preceded by I. K. Gujral
Succeeded by Manmohan Singh
In office
16 May 1996 – 1 June 1996
President Shankar Dayal Sharma
Preceded by P. V. Narasimha Rao
Succeeded by H. D. Deve Gowda
Minister of External Affairs
In office
26 March 1977 – 28 July 1979
Prime Minister Morarji Desai
Preceded by Yashwantrao Chavan
Succeeded by Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra
Personal details
25 December 1924
Born Gwalior, Gwalior State, British India (now in Madhya Pradesh,
India)
16 August 2018 (aged 93)
Died
New Delhi, India
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party (1980–2018)
Other political Janata Party (1977–1980)
affiliations Bharatiya Jana Sangh (before 1977)
Alma mater DAV College, Kanpur (then affiliated with University of Agra)
Profession Writer, politician, poet
Bharat Ratna
2015
Awards
Padma Vibhushan
1992

Signature

Atal Bihari Vajpayee BR (pronunciation [əʈəl bɪhaːɾiː ʋaːdʒpai]; 25 December 1924[1] – 16

August 2018)[2] was an Indian politician who thrice served as the Prime Minister of India,
first for a term of 13 days in 1996, for a period of eleven months from 1998 to 1999, and then
for a full term from 1999 to 2004.

He was a member of the Indian Parliament for over four decades, having been elected to the
Lok Sabha, the lower house, ten times, and twice to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house. He
served as the Member of Parliament for Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh until 2009 when he retired
from active politics due to health concerns. Vajpayee was among the founding members of
the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh which he also headed from 1968 to 1972. He was the
Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Morarji Desai.

When the Janata government collapsed, Vajpayee restructured the Jana Sangh into the
Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980. He was the first Indian prime minister who was not a member
of the Indian National Congress party to have served a full five-year term in office.

He was conferred India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, by the President of India,
Pranab Mukherjee in 2015.[3] The Modi government declared in 2014 that Vajpayee's
birthday, 25 December, would be marked as Good Governance Day.[4][5] He died on 16
August 2018 due to age related illness.[6]

Contents
• 1 Early life and education
• 2 Early political career (1942–1975)
• 3 Political career (1975–1995)
• 4 Prime Ministership
o 4.1 First term: May 1996
o 4.2 Second term: 1998–1999

4.2.1 Nuclear tests
o 4.3 The Lahore summit

4.3.1 Kargil War
o 4.4 Third term: 1999–2004

4.4.1 Indian Airlines hijack

4.4.2 National highway project, foreign policy and economic reforms

4.4.3 2001 attack on Parliament

4.4.4 2002 Gujarat violence

4.4.5 Remainder of term
• 5 2004 general election
• 6 Travel and diplomatic assignments
• 7 Post-premiership
• 8 Personal life
• 9 Death
• 10 Awards
• 11 Positions held
• 12 Works
o 12.1 Social and political
o 12.2 Books
o 12.3 Poetry
o 12.4 Speeches
• 13 See also
• 14 References
• 15 Further reading
• 16 External links

Early life and education

Vajpayee was born to Krishna Devi and Krishna Bihari Vajpayee on 25 December 1924 in
Gwalior.[7] His grandfather, Pandit Shyam Lal Vajpayee, had migrated to Morena, Gwalior
from his ancestral village of Bateshwar, Uttar Pradesh.[7] His father, Krishna Bihari Vajpayee,
was a school teacher in his hometown.[8] Vajpayee did his schooling from the Saraswati
Shishu Mandir, Gwalior. He subsequently attended Gwalior's Victoria College (now Laxmi
Bai College) and graduated with distinction in Hindi, English and Sanskrit. He completed his
post-graduation with an M.A. in Political Science from DAV College, Kanpur, and was
awarded a first-class degree.[1][9]

His activism started with Arya Kumar Sabha of Gwalior, the youth wing of the Arya Samaj,
of which he became the general secretary in 1944. He also joined the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a swayamsevak, or volunteer, in 1939. Influenced by
Babasaheb Apte, he attended the Officers Training Camp of the RSS during 1940–44 and
became a pracharak, RSS terminology for a a full-time worker, in 1947. He gave up studying
law due to the partition riots. He was sent as a vistarak, a probationary pracharak, to Uttar
Pradesh and quickly began working for the newspapers of Deendayal Upadhyaya,
Rashtradharma (a Hindi monthly), Panchjanya (a Hindi weekly) and the dailies Swadesh and
Veer Arjun.[9][10][11]

Early political career (1942–1975)

By 1942 Vajpayee was already an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,
though he was only 16 years old at the time. In August 1942 he and his elder brother Prem
were arrested for 23 days during the Quit India Movement. He was released after giving a
written undertaking that he was a part of the crowd but was not part of the militant events in
Bateshwar of 27 August 1942.[12]

In 1948, the RSS was banned for its alleged role in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.[13]
In 1951, he was seconded by the RSS, along with Deendayal Upadhyaya, to work for the
newly formed Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a Hindu right-wing political party associated with the
RSS. He was appointed as a national secretary of the party in charge of the Northern region,
based in Delhi. He soon became a follower and aide of party leader Syama Prasad
Mukherjee. In 1954, Vajpayee was with Mukherjee when he went on a fast-unto-death in
Kashmir to protest against perceived inferior treatment of non-Kashmiri Indian visitors to the
state. Mookerjee died in prison during this strike. In 1957, Vajpayee lost to Raja Mahendra
Pratap in Mathura[14][15] for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament of India, but was
elected from Balrampur. There, his oratorial skills so impressed Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru that he predicted that Vajpayee would someday become India's Prime Minister.[16]

By virtue of his oratorical and organizational skills, he became the face of the Jana Sangh.
After the death of Deendayal Upadhyaya, the mantle of the leadership of Jana Sangh fell on
the shoulders of a young Vajpayee. He became the national president of the Jana Sangh in
1968 and, along with Nanaji Deshmukh, Balraj Madhok and L. K. Advani, led the Jana
Sangh to national prominence.[citation needed]

Political career (1975–1995)

Foreign Minister Vajpayee (far right) and Prime Minister Morarji Desai (third from right,
front row) with US President Jimmy Carter during his 1978 visit to India.
In 1975, Vajpayee was arrested along with several other opposition leaders during the
Internal Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of the Indian National
Congress party.[8][17]

Following Janata's victory in the 1977 general elections, he became the Minister of External
Affairs in Prime Minister Morarji Desai's cabinet. As foreign minister, that year Vajpayee
became the first person to deliver a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi.
By the time the Janata government crumbled in 1979, Vajpayee had established himself as an
experienced statesman and a respected political leader.[18]

The Janata Party was dissolved soon after Morarji Desai resigned as Prime Minister in 1979.
The Jana Sangh had devoted its political organisation to sustain the coalition and was left
exhausted by the internecine political wars within the Janata Party.[citation needed]

Vajpayee joined many of his Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh
colleagues, particularly his long-time friends L. K. Advani and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, to
form the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. He became the BJP's first President. He
emerged as a strong critic of the Congress (R) government that followed the Janata
government.[citation needed]

While the BJP opposed the Sikh militancy that was rising in the state of Punjab, it also
blamed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her "divisive and corrupt politics that fostered such
militancy at the expense of national unity and integrity."[9] The BJP was left with only two
parliamentary seats in the 1984 elections.[19] During this period, Vajpayee remained at the
centre-stage as party President[20][21] and Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament.[22]

The BJP became the political voice of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Movement, which was
led by activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the RSS, and which sought to build
a temple dedicated to Lord Rama in Ayodhya.[citation needed]

Victory in the assembly elections in Gujarat and Maharashtra in March 1995, and a good
performance in the elections to the Karnataka assembly in December 1994, propelled the BJP
to greater political prominence. During a BJP conference in Mumbai in November 1995, BJP
President L. K. Advani declared that Vajpayee would become the Prime Minister of India.
The BJP won in the May 1996 parliamentary elections.[23]

Prime Ministership
Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India between 1996 and 2004 in three non-
consecutive terms.[citation needed]

First term: May 1996

See also: First Vajpayee ministry

The BJP grew in strength in the early 1995, riding on nationalist sentiment in the country. In
the 1996 general elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Lok Sabha.[24]
The then president Shankar Dayal Sharma invited Vajpayee to form the government.[25]
Vajpayee was sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of India,[26] but the BJP failed to muster
enough support from other parties to obtain a majority. He resigned after 13 days when it
became clear that he could not garner a majority.[26][27]

Second term: 1998–1999

See also: Second Vajpayee ministry

After the fall of the two United Front governments between 1996 and 1998, the Lok Sabha
was dissolved and fresh elections were held. The 1998 general elections again put the BJP
ahead of others. This time, a cohesive bloc of political parties joined the BJP to form the
National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Vajpayee was sworn in as the Prime Minister.[28]

The NDA proved its majority in the parliament. The government lasted 13 months until mid-
1999 when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) under Jayalalithaa
withdrew its support to the government.[29] The government lost the ensuing vote of
confidence motion in the Lok Sabha by a single vote on 17 April 1999.[30] As the Opposition
was unable to come up with the numbers to form the new government, the Lok Sabha was
again dissolved and fresh elections were held. Vajpayee remained the Prime Minister until
the elections were held.[citation needed]

Nuclear tests

See also: Pokhran-II

In May 1998, India conducted five underground nuclear tests in Pokhran desert in Rajasthan,
24 yrs after India conducted its first nuclear test (Smiling Buddha) in 1974. This test is called
Pokhran-II. The tests were held just a month after the government had been in power. Two
weeks later, Pakistan responded with its own nuclear tests making it the newest nation with
declared nuclear capability.

Today, at 15:45 hours, India conducted three underground nuclear tests in the
“ Pokhran range. The tests conducted today were with a fission device, a low yield
device and a thermonuclear device. The measured yields are in line with
expected values. Measurements have also confirmed that there was no release of
radioactivity into the atmosphere. These were contained explosions like the
experiment conducted in May 1974. I warmly congratulate the scientists and
engineers who have carried out these successful tests.[31] ”
While some nations, such as Russia and France, endorsed India's right to defensive nuclear
power,[32] others including the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain and the European Union
imposed sanctions on information, resources and technology to India. In spite of intense
international criticism and steady decline in foreign investment and trade, the nuclear tests
were popular domestically. In effect, the international sanctions imposed failed to sway India
from weaponising its nuclear capability. US sanctions against India and Pakistan were
eventually lifted after just six months, a development that the Vajpayee administration had
anticipated and planned for.[33]

The Lahore summit

In late 1998 and early 1999, Vajpayee began a push for a full-scale diplomatic peace process
with Pakistan. With the historic inauguration of the Delhi-Lahore bus service in February
1999, Vajpayee initiated a new peace process aimed towards permanently resolving the
Kashmir dispute and other conflicts with Pakistan. The resultant Lahore Declaration espoused
a commitment to dialogue, expanded trade relations and mutual friendship and envisaged a
goal of denuclearised South Asia. This eased the tension created by the 1998 nuclear tests,
not only within the two nations but also in South Asia and the rest of the world.[citation needed]

The Vajpayee-led government was faced with two crises in mid-1999. The AIADMK had
continually threatened to withdraw from the coalition and national leaders repeatedly flew
down from Delhi to Chennai to pacify the AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha. However, in May
1999, the AIADMK did pull the plug on the NDA, and the Vajpayee administration was
reduced to a caretaker status pending fresh elections scheduled for October 1999.[citation needed]

Kargil War

Further information: Kargil War

It was revealed that militants and non-uniformed Pakistani soldiers (many with official
identifications and Pakistan Army's custom weaponry) had infiltrated into the Kashmir
Valley and captured control of border hilltops, unmanned border posts and were spreading
out fast. The incursion was centred around the town of Kargil, but also included the Batalik
and Akhnoor sectors and artillery exchanges at the Siachen Glacier.[citation needed]

Indian army units were swiftly rushed into Kashmir in response. Operation Vijay, launched in
June 1999, saw the Indian military fighting thousands of militants and soldiers in the midst of
heavy artillery shelling and while facing extremely cold weather, snow and treacherous
terrain at the high altitude. Over 500 Indian soldiers were killed in the three-month-long
Kargil War, and it is estimated around 600-4,000 Pakistani militants and soldiers died as
well. India pushed back the Pakistani militants and Northern Light Infantry soldiers. Almost
70% of the territory was recaptured by India. Vajpayee sent a "secret letter" to US President
Bill Clinton that if Pakistani infiltrators did not withdraw from the Indian territory, “we will
get them out, one way or the other” - meaning he did not rule out crossing the Line of Control
(LoC), or was the use of nuclear weapons.[34]

After Pakistan suffered heavy losses, and with both the United States and China refusing to
condone the incursion or threaten India to stop its military operations, General Musharraf was
recalcitrant and Nawaz Sharif asked the remaining militants to stop and withdraw to positions
along the LoC. The militants were not willing to accept orders from Sharif but the NLI
soldiers withdrew. The militants were killed by the army or forced to withdraw in skirmishes
which went beyond the announcement of withdrawal by Pakistan. The victory in Kargil
bolstered the image of Vajpayee and he was hailed across the country for his bold and strong
leadership. On 26 July 2012, designated as 'Kargil Vijay Diwas', BJP President Nitin Gadkari
unveiled a wax statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Mumbai. The statue is to be put up at a wax
museum in Lonavala.[35]

Third term: 1999–2004

See also: Third Vajpayee ministry

In the 1999 general elections, the BJP-led NDA won 303 seats out of the 543 seats in the Lok
Sabha, in the aftermath of the Kargil operations,[36] thereby securing a comfortable and stable
majority. On 13 October 1999, Atal Bihari Vajpayee took oath as Prime Minister of India for
the third time.[citation needed]

Indian Airlines hijack

A national crisis emerged in December 1999, when Indian Airlines flight IC 814 from
Kathmandu to New Delhi was hijacked by five terrorists and flown to Taliban-ruled
Afghanistan.[37] The hijackers made several demands including the release of certain terrorists
like Masood Azhar from prison. Under extreme pressure, the government ultimately caved in.
Jaswant Singh, the Minister for External Affairs at the time, flew with the terrorists to
Afghanistan and exchanged them for the passengers.[citation needed]

A.B.Vajpayee meeting President Bush in the White House in 2001

National highway project, foreign policy and economic reforms

Main articles: National Highways Development Project and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana

During his administration, Vajpayee introduced many domestic economic and infrastructural
reforms, including encouraging the private sector and foreign investments, reducing
governmental waste, encouraging research and development and privatisation of some
government owned corporations.[38] The UPA Government on 1 July 2013 accepted before
Supreme Court that National Democratic Alliance Government led by Vajpayee has
developed half the roads in last 32 years in their 5-year term.[39]

Vajpayee's pet projects were the National Highways Development Project and Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.[citation needed]

In March 2000, Bill Clinton, the President of the United States, paid a state visit to India. His
was the first state visit to India by a US President in 22 years. President Clinton's visit to
India was hailed as a significant milestone in the relations between the two countries. Since
the visit came barely two years after the Pokhran tests, and one year after the Kargil invasion
and the subsequent coup in Pakistan, it was read to reflect a major shift in the post-Cold War
foreign policy of the United States. The Indian Prime Minister and the US President
discussed strategic issues, but the major achievement was a significant expansion in trade and
economic ties. The Historic Vision Document on the future course of relations between the
two countries was signed by Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Clinton during the
visit.[citation needed]

Domestically, the BJP-led government was under constant pressure from its ideological
mentor, the RSS, and the hard-line VHP to enact the Hindutva agenda. But owing to its
dependence on coalition support, it was impossible for the BJP to push items like building the
Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, repealing Article 370 which gave a special status to
the state of Kashmir, or enacting a uniform civil code applicable to adherents of all religions.
On 17 January 2000, there were reports of the RSS and some BJP hard-liners threatening to
restart the Jan Sangh, the precursor to the BJP, because of their discontent over Atal Bihari
Vajpayee rule. Former president of the Jan Sangh, Balraj Madhok, had written a letter to the
then RSS chief, Rajendra Singh for support.[40] The BJP was, however, accused of
saffronising (saffron being the colour of the flag of the RSS, symbol of the Hindu nationalism
movement) the official state education curriculum and apparatus. Also, Home Minister L.K.
Advani and Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi were indicted in
the 1992 Babri Mosque demolition case for inciting a mob of activists. Vajpayee himself
came under public scrutiny owing to his controversial speech one day prior to the mosque
demolition.[41] The RSS also routinely criticised the government for free-market policies
which introduced foreign goods and competition at the expense of 'swadeshi' industries and
products.[citation needed]

Vajpayee's administration earned the ire of many trade unions and government workers for its
aggressive campaign to privatise government owned corporations. Vajpayee promoted pro-
business, free market reforms to reinvigorate India's economic transformation and expansion
that were started by the former PM Narasimha Rao but stalled after 1996 due to unstable
governments and the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Increased competitiveness, extra funding
and support for the information technology sector and high-tech industries, improvements in
infrastructure, deregulation of trade, investments and corporate laws —- all increased foreign
capital investment and set in motion an economic expansion.[citation needed]

Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Russia's president Vladimir Putin

These couple of years of reform however were accompanied by infighting in the

administration and confusion regarding the direction of government. Vajpayee's weakening
health was also a subject of public interest, and he underwent a major knee-replacement
surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai to relieve great pressure on his legs.[citation
needed]

In March 2001, the Tehelka group released the sting operation video named Operation West
End showing videos of the BJP President Bangaru Laxman, senior army officers and NDA
members accepting bribes from journalists posing as agents and businessmen. The Defence
Minister George Fernandes was forced to resign following the Barak Missile scandal, another
scandal involving the botched supplies of coffins for the soldiers killed in Kargil, and the
findings of an inquiry commission that the Government could have prevented the Kargil
invasion.[42]

Vajpayee again broke the ice in the Indo-Pak relations by inviting Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf to Delhi and Agra for a joint summit and peace talks. His second major attempt to
move beyond the stalemate involved inviting the man who had planned the Kargil invasions.
But accepting him as the President of Pakistan, Vajpayee chose to move forward. But after
three days of much fanfare, which included Musharraf visiting his birthplace in Delhi, the
summit failed to achieve a breakthrough as President Musharraf declined to leave aside the
issue of Kashmir.[citation needed]

In 2001, the Vajpayee government launched the famous Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which
aimed at improving the quality of education in primary and secondary schools.[citation needed]

2001 attack on Parliament

Main article: 2001 Indian Parliament attack

On 13 December 2001, a group of masked, armed men with fake IDs stormed the Parliament
House in Delhi. The terrorists managed to kill several security guards, but the building was
sealed off swiftly and security forces cornered and killed the men, who were later proven to
be Pakistan nationals. Coming just three months after the September 11 attacks upon the
United States, this fresh escalation instantly enraged the nation. Although the Government of
Pakistan officially condemned the attack, Indian intelligence reports pointed to a conspiracy
rooted in Pakistan.[citation needed]

Prime Minister Vajpayee ordered a mobilisation of India's military forces, and as many as
500,000 servicemen amassed along the international boundary bordering Punjab, Rajasthan,
Gujarat and Kashmir. Pakistan responded with the same. Vicious terrorist attacks and an
aggressive anti-terrorist campaign froze day-to-day life in Kashmir, and foreigners flocked
out of both India and Pakistan, fearing a possible war and nuclear exchange. For as long as
two years, both nations remained perilously close to a terrible war.[43]

The Vajpayee administration also passed the Prevention of Terrorism Act against vigorous
opposition of non-NDA parties. Human rights groups have condemned the act which gives
wide authority to the government to crack down and hold anybody. Its repeal was advocated
by human rights organisations.[44]

But the biggest political disaster hit his government between December 2001 and March
2002: the VHP held the Government hostage in a major standoff in Ayodhya over the Ram
temple. At the 10th anniversary of the destruction of the Babri mosque, the VHP wanted to
perform a shila daan, or a ceremony laying the foundation stone of the cherished temple at
the disputed site. Tens of thousands of VHP activists amassed and threatened to overrun the
site and forcibly build the temple. A grave threat of not only communal violence, but an
outright breakdown of law and order owing to the defiance of the government by a religious
organisation hung over the nation. But to the relief of Vajpayee, his government was able to
tide over this crisis rather smoothly.[citation needed]
2002 Gujarat violence

Main article: 2002 Gujarat riots

In 2002, Hindu-Muslim violence in the state Gujarat killed more than 1,000 people. Vajpayee
officially condemned the violence.[45]

Later, Vajpayee made controversial remarks: "Wherever there are Muslims in large numbers,
they do not want to live in peace."[46] The remarks were clarified by the Prime Minister's
Office as being taken out of context.[citation needed]

Vajpayee was accused of doing nothing to stop the violence, and later admitted mistakes in
handling the events.[47] K. R. Narayanan, then president of India, also blamed Vajpayee's
government for failing to quell the violence.[48]

Remainder of term

In late 2002 and 2003 the government pushed economic reforms, and the country's GDP
growth accelerated at record levels, exceeding 6–7%. Increasing foreign investment,
modernisation of public and industrial infrastructure, the creation of jobs, a rising high-tech
and IT industry and urban modernisation and expansion improved the nation's international
image. Good crop harvests and strong industrial expansion also helped the economy.[citation
needed]

The government reformed the tax system, increased the pace of reforms and pro-business
initiatives, major irrigation and housing schemes and so on. The political energies of the BJP
shifted to the rising urban middle-class and young people, who were positive and enthusiastic
about the major economic expansion and future of the country. He faced stiff opposition from
other equally strong organisations in the Sangh Parivar such as the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. However, he continued with his aggressive economic reform
policy.[citation needed]

In August 2003, he announced before the parliament his "absolute last" effort to achieve
peace with Pakistan. Although the diplomatic process never truly set-off immediately, visits
were exchanged by high-level officials and the military stand-off ended. The Pakistani
President and Pakistani politicians, civil and religious leaders hailed this initiative as did the
leaders of America, Europe and much of the world. In July 2003, Prime Minister Vajpayee,
visited China, and met with various Chinese leaders. He recognised Tibet as a part of China,
which was welcomed by the Chinese leadership, who in the following year, recognised
Sikkim, as a part of India. China–India relations improved greatly in the following
years.[citation needed]

In November–December 2003, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won three major state
elections, fought mainly on development issues, without ideological campaigns. A major
public relations campaign was launched to reach out to Muslims and stop the 2002 communal
riots controversy from haunting the party's future. But the attention of the media and of
millions now moved from Vajpayee to his more possible successor, L. K. Advani, although
the question was never directly raised or contested in any way. Vajpayee's age, failing health
and diminished physical and mental vigour were obvious factors in such speculation.[citation
needed]
Advani assumed greater responsibilities in the party, and although no perceivable conflict has
been known to arise between the longtime friends and political colleagues, several
embarrassing statements were made. Once Vajpayee said "Advani would lead the BJP in the
elections," prompting Advani to clarify that he would merely lead the election campaign, not
the party. And then the BJP President Venkaiah Naidu used mythological references to depict
Vajpayee as Vikas Purush (Man of Progress) and Advani as Loh Purush(Iron Man).[citation
needed]

As the BJP prepared for general elections in 2004, Vajpayee was still the choice of the BJP
and of the wider NDA, for the Prime Minister's job.[citation needed]

On 29 June 2002 Atal Bihari Vajpayee while dedicating his collection of poems translated in
Tamil, recalled his friendship with C. N. Annadurai and claimed that he was not opposed to
Hindi and appreciated Vajpayee's language skills.[49][50] Annadurai however, was against
imposition of the language.[51]

2004 general election

The NDA was widely expected to retain power after the 2004 general election. The 13th Lok
Sabha had been dissolved before the completion of its term to capitalise on the perceived
'feel-good factor' and BJP's recent successes in the Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The BJP hoped to capitalise on the slogan "India Shining" and
released many ads touting the economic growth of the nation.[citation needed]

However, the coalition lost almost half of its seats, with several prominent cabinet ministers
being defeated. The Indian National Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi, became the single
largest party and, along with many minor parties, formed the United Progressive Alliance.
With the conditional support of the leftist parties from the outside, the UPA formed a
government under Manmohan Singh. Vajpayee resigned as Prime Minister and promised co-
operation to the new government.[52] Accepting moral responsibility for the defeat, he decided
not to take up the position of the Leader of the Opposition and passed on the leadership
mantle to L. K. Advani. However, he retained his post as Chairman of the NDA.[citation needed]

Travel and diplomatic assignments

Vajpayee has visited several countries, first in 1965 as a member of the Parliamentary
Goodwill Mission to East Africa. He was also part of the Parliamentary Delegations to
Australia in 1967, the European Parliament in 1983, and Canada in 1987. He was part of the
official Indian Delegation to Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meetings held in
Canada in 1966 and 1994, Zambia in 1980, and the Isle of Man in 1984. He was in the Indian
delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Japan in 1974, Sri Lanka in 1975;
and Switzerland in 1984. He was a regular at the UN General Assembly, having been part of
the Indian Delegations in 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996. He led the Indian
Delegation to the Human Rights Commission Meeting at Geneva in 1993 and the Delegation
of Standing Committees of External Affairs to Gulf countries i.e. Bahrain, Oman and
Kuwait.[citation needed]

Post-premiership
In December 2005, Vajpayee announced his retirement from active politics, declaring that he
would not contest in the next general election. In a famous statement at the BJP's silver
jubilee rally at Mumbai's Shivaji Park, Vajpayee announced that "Henceforth, Lal Krishna
Advani and Pramod Mahajan will be the Ram-Laxman [the two godly brothers much revered
and worshipped by Hindus] of the BJP."[53]

Vajpayee was referred to as the 'Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics by former Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh during a speech in the Rajya Sabha, a reference to a mythological
figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata who was held in respect by two warring sides.[54]

Vajpayee was hospitalised at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi (AIIMS) for a
chest infection and fever on 6 February 2009. He was put on ventilator support as his
condition worsened but he eventually recuperated and was later discharged.[55] Unable to
participate in the campaign for the 2009 general election due to his poor health, he wrote a
letter urging voters to back the BJP.[56] His protege Lalji Tandon was able to retain the
Lucknow seat[when?] even though the NDA suffered electoral reverses all over the country.
The tall apolitical image of Vajpayee was said to be the main reason behind Lalji's success in
Lucknow even though the BJP's performance was poor elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh.[43]

Personal life
Vajpayee remained a bachelor his entire life. He adopted Namita Bhattacharya, the daughter
of BN Kaul and Rajkumari Kaul.[57]

He was fond of Indian music and dance. He loved nature and one of his favourite retreats was
Manali in Himachal Pradesh.[58]

He was a published poet, and with regard to his poetry he wrote, "My poetry is a declaration
of war, not an exordium to defeat. It is not the defeated soldier's drumbeat of despair, but the
fighting warrior's will to win. It is not the despirited voice of dejection but the stirring shout
of victory."[59]

Death
Vajpayee suffered a stroke in 2009 which impaired his speech.[60] His health had been a
major source of concern reports said he was confined to a wheelchair and failed to recognise
people. He also suffered from dementia and long-term diabetes. For many years, he had not
attended any public engagements and rarely ventured out of the house, except for checkups at
the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.[60][61] On 11 June 2018, Vajpayee was admitted
to AIIMS in critical condition.[62][63][64] He died there at 5:05 pm IST on 16 August 2018 due
to age related illness.[6]