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Atal Bihari Vajpayee[A´tAl bihAr´E vAj´pI´´] Pronunciation Key, 1926–, Indian politician, prime minister of India (1996, 1998–). He began his career as a journalist, entering politics as an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate in 1950. He was (1951) a founding member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the Hindu nationalist precursor of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). An able orator, Vajpayee won election to parliament in 1957; in 1975 he was imprisoned for opposing Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's state of emergency. During the tenure (1977–79) of the coalition government that defeated Gandhi and her party, Vajpayee served as foreign minister and became the head (1979–86, 1992–) of the newly formed BJP. When the BJP won the largest number of parliamentary seats in 1996, Vajpayee became prime minister; failing to form a coalition, he resigned 13 days later. After the 1998 elections gave the BJP a greater representation in parliament, Vajpayee again became prime minister; he was returned to office in 1999. Vajpayee has softened some of the more strident nationalist and anti-Muslim rhetoric of other BJP members and has pressed for the continuation of free-market reforms, the eradication of untouchability, and the rights of women. He also advocates the development of India as a nuclear power; several nuclear tests were conducted in 1998. He has written a number of books, including collections of his speeches, a work on Indian foreign policy, and poetry.
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