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Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Master of all political trades
By: Geetika JainIf there is one man in the Indian political fraternity who stands edge above all, it is the mighty Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A legend in himself, the veteran politician is set to enter the record books with the forthcoming general elections if opinion polls and the mood of the public are anything to go by.
By: Geetika Jain
If there is one man in the Indian political fraternity who stands edge above all, it is the mighty Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A legend in himself, the veteran politician is set to enter the record books with the forthcoming general elections if opinion polls and the mood of the public are anything to go by. In current political scenario, Vajpayee is the most `shining` and the sharpest sword in the armoury of Bharatiya Janata Party which would face the electorate in April. An aphorism in himself, a man of immense acceptability, a master of shrewd politicking, a champion of countering politic inanity and an expert of coalition manoeuvering, Vajpayee is one man who can pull off a thumping victory for BJP-led NDA.
That his party needs him more than he needs the party is the result of his charismatic, poetic, witty, astute and charming personality. This leader with his winning smile has braved the ebb and tide of Indian politics to acquire this tall stature. From his entry into Parliament in 1957, he has come a long way to become the first non-Congress leader to serve the longest term as the Prime Minister of India. His towering personality could be attributed to his statesman like approach towards easing Indo-Pak relations. His third and last call for peace has met with world-wide acclaim and has already starting showing results with the upcoming Indo-Pak cricket series in Pakistan.
The veteran parliamentarian, whose career stretches over four decades, Vajpayee has been elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and to the Rajya Sabha twice. As India`s Foreign Minister, Chairperson of various important Standing Committees of Parliament and Leader of Opposition, he has been an active participant in the shaping of India`s post-Independence domestic and foreign policy. His entry into national politics dates back to his student days, when he joined the Quit India Movement of 1942. A student of political science and law, it was in college that he developed a keen interest in foreign affairs - an interest he has nourished over the years and put to skilful use while representing India at various multilateral and bilateral fora.
The fact that Vajpayee has managed to distance himself from the extremist stance of his party to endear himself to the non-extremist, educated, moderate, Hindu or non-Hindu middle-class Indian establishes his political astuteness. He has managed to steer clear of the fanaticism of the BJP and represents the more humane face of his party.
Not just an eminent national leader, Vajpayee is an erudite politician, a forceful orator, poet and litterateur, journalist and indeed a multi-faceted personality. He is emotional and likes to tread the middle path. He can break strange deadlocks and face difficult situations with his humorous repartees. With all these commendable traits in his kitty, he has his share of shortcomings too. He generally delays his decisions and at times reverts back on his statements, skillfully though. Also, his growing age might hamper his longevity in this profession.
Anybody who knows Indian politics would know that it is all about managing coalitions in today’s time and Vajpayee is a master of that too. From 1998 till date, despite a few defections, Vajapayee has managed to keep his flock together. It is courtesy his charisma that coalition partners have more than once expressed their faith in Vajpayee’s leadership.
With victory in three out of four states in Hindi heartland that went into polls in December behind him, Vajpayee is well-grounded for the coming ‘big fight’. He is the prime reason behind the optimism and the feel-good enthusiasm exuding from the BJP just before the elections. He remains indispensable for the party to face the electorate.
If there is one man in the Indian political fraternity who stands edge above all, it is the mighty Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A legend in himself, the veteran politician is set to enter the record books with the forthcoming general elections if opinion polls and the mood of the public are anything to go by. In current political scenario, Vajpayee is the most `shining` and the sharpest sword in the armoury of Bharatiya Janata Party which would face the electorate in April. An aphorism in himself, a man of immense acceptability, a master of shrewd politicking, a champion of countering politic inanity and an expert of coalition manoeuvering, Vajpayee is one man who can pull off a thumping victory for BJP-led NDA.
That his party needs him more than he needs the party is the result of his charismatic, poetic, witty, astute and charming personality. This leader with his winning smile has braved the ebb and tide of Indian politics to acquire this tall stature. From his entry into Parliament in 1957, he has come a long way to become the first non-Congress leader to serve the longest term as the Prime Minister of India. His towering personality could be attributed to his statesman like approach towards easing Indo-Pak relations. His third and last call for peace has met with world-wide acclaim and has already starting showing results with the upcoming Indo-Pak cricket series in Pakistan.
The veteran parliamentarian, whose career stretches over four decades, Vajpayee has been elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and to the Rajya Sabha twice. As India`s Foreign Minister, Chairperson of various important Standing Committees of Parliament and Leader of Opposition, he has been an active participant in the shaping of India`s post-Independence domestic and foreign policy. His entry into national politics dates back to his student days, when he joined the Quit India Movement of 1942. A student of political science and law, it was in college that he developed a keen interest in foreign affairs - an interest he has nourished over the years and put to skilful use while representing India at various multilateral and bilateral fora.
The fact that Vajpayee has managed to distance himself from the extremist stance of his party to endear himself to the non-extremist, educated, moderate, Hindu or non-Hindu middle-class Indian establishes his political astuteness. He has managed to steer clear of the fanaticism of the BJP and represents the more humane face of his party.
Not just an eminent national leader, Vajpayee is an erudite politician, a forceful orator, poet and litterateur, journalist and indeed a multi-faceted personality. He is emotional and likes to tread the middle path. He can break strange deadlocks and face difficult situations with his humorous repartees. With all these commendable traits in his kitty, he has his share of shortcomings too. He generally delays his decisions and at times reverts back on his statements, skillfully though. Also, his growing age might hamper his longevity in this profession.
Anybody who knows Indian politics would know that it is all about managing coalitions in today’s time and Vajpayee is a master of that too. From 1998 till date, despite a few defections, Vajapayee has managed to keep his flock together. It is courtesy his charisma that coalition partners have more than once expressed their faith in Vajpayee’s leadership.
With victory in three out of four states in Hindi heartland that went into polls in December behind him, Vajpayee is well-grounded for the coming ‘big fight’. He is the prime reason behind the optimism and the feel-good enthusiasm exuding from the BJP just before the elections. He remains indispensable for the party to face the electorate.