Atal Bihari Vajpayee: A life in pictures
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the first non-Congress leader to serve a full term in power, died August 16 2018, at AIIMS in New Delhi, where he had been undergoing treatment for a kidney ailment since June. Renowned for his powerful oratory and poetry, Vajpayee, 93, one of the founder members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), served as prime minister for 13 days in 1996, 13 months (1998-99) at the head of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and then for a full five-year term (1999-2004)
Curated By: Forbes India
Greatly influenced by Babasaheb Apte, Atal Bihari Vajpayee joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a swayamsevak in 1939. Later in 1944, he became the general secretary of the Samaj. Atal Bihari Vajpayee became 'full-time pracharak' in 1947. (Pictured- Atal Bihari Vajpayee during convention of Janta Party workers to form a new party called Bhartiya Janata Party at Firoz Shah Kotla Road- New Delhi, India April 5, 1980.)
