Former Prime Minister of India from 1998 to 2004. A veteran politician and a widely respected personality. His was a voice of reason and tolerance when the mobs went on a killing spree during the communal carnage in Gujarat in 2002.
A poet in his own right. He lost the 2004 General Elections which had been propounded by six months in the hope that the BJP would be returned to power on account of strong public support and economic reforms. The electorate voted otherwise and returned the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) headed by the Congress, at the hustings.
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Vajpayee remains the most charismatic leader and crowd puller. He addressed crowds at the local elections in U.P. in November, 2006 which brought cheers to the BJP as it regained its lost position at least in the urban areas. He again was the star performer at the BJP annual session in Lucknow in Dec.2006.
In spite of his age, he remains a huge crowd puller. He has passed on the mantle to L.K. Advani who still nurtures his ambition of becoming Prime Minister of India. L.K. Advani visited Nandigram in November, 07 and took stock of the situation; the BJP and the other opposition cadres are being harassed by the Leftists.
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BJP won power in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in Dec. 2007. L.K. Advani now a voice crying in wilderness, The RSS has assumed reigns of The BJP Nitin Gadkari has been appointed The Party President in Late 2009.
Era of both Vajpayee & Advani has come to an end; Vajpayee was a very reflection of his old personality.
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In retrospect one most concede that Vajpayee was amongst the best Indian Prime Ministers who steered the country through a difficult period, exploded nuclear devices, tackled terrorist attacks, fought inflation and put India out of the shackles of poverty and deprivation. During his 6-year regime, infrastructure was given a push, especially the quadrilateral network of roads.
It is a pity that the momentum built up by NDA has been lost by the UPA and the road network did not get the attention it deserves. Vajpayee sustains his charisma though almost retired from social and political life. He can still play the role of a senior advisor and leader of the JBP especially in view of the severe rift in the party due to the expulsion of Jaswant Singh.
His premiership period for 1998 to 2004 remains memorable for stability and economic progress that the country enjoyed. The BJP is now in disarray, on account of the political vacuum caused due to fading out of its two stalwarts L.K. Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The party will take many years to overcome the present hiatus. The Liberman Report erroneously and in a time-barred way blamed him for the Babri Masjid demolition.