10th Prime Minister of India

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

In office

16 May 1996 – 1 June 1996

19 March 1998 – 22 May 2004

Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

Born in

Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

Lived

1924–2018

Days in office

2,272

In order

1996: after P. V. Narasimha Rao, before H. D. Deve Gowda

1998–2004: after Inder Kumar Gujral, before Manmohan Singh

Key achievements & events

• Conducted the Pokhran-II nuclear tests (1998)
• Led India through the Kargil War (1999)
• Rode the bus to Lahore in 1999 seeking peace with Pakistan
• Built the Golden Quadrilateral highways and rural roads
• First prime minister not from Congress to complete a full term

Remember: His first government, in 1996, resigned after 13 days rather than lose a confidence vote. He was also a published poet; his birthday, 25 December, is Good Governance Day.