Prime Minister with the shortest tenure-for 13 days in May
1996-Vajpayee is ironically enough the front-runner to take office
after the 12th general elections. A big draw because of his
mesmerising oratory (his popularity rating soars every time a
speech in Parliament is televised live), he has been described as
the BJP's "acceptable face" which perhaps explains why he has so
many cross-party friends. He was mostly silent during the BJP's
Hindutva phase, and took on the mantle of president when the party
wanted to project a more sober image.Born in Gwalior, and
educated in Gwalior and Kanpur, Vajpayee participated in the
freedom struggle and went to jail in 1942. After Independence, he
became a founder-member of the Jana Sangh in 1951. Detained
during Emergency, he joined hands with other opposition parties in
the Janata experiment and was Union minister for external affairs. A
writer and poet, he has written a number of articles and poems.