Atal Bihari Vajpayee

 

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

The BJP emerged as the largest party in the 1996 general election, and Vajpayee was invited by Pres. Shankar Dayal Sharma to form the government. Vajpayee was sworn in as prime minister in May 1996 but was in office only 13 days before resigning after failing to attract support from other parties. In the Lok Sabha elections of 1998, the BJP won more seats than it had in previous years, but no party managed to secure a majority. The BJP entered a shaky alliance with regional parties and formed the government with Vajpayee as prime minister. In 1999, after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK; “All India Anna Dravidian Progressive Federation”) left the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition, Vajpayee was asked to take a vote of confidence. He failed to prove his majority by only one vote and had to resign again. Later that year the BJP-led NDA coalition increased its seats in the general election and formed the government.