Vajpayee’s Short-Lived Term as Prime Minister

As it was the largest party in the Lok Sabha, the BJP was called by President Shankar Dayal Sharma to try and form a government. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was elected the new Prime Minister of India, replacing P. V. Narasimha Rao of the Indian National Congress in May 1996. However, the party just found no allies to support it, and Vajpayee resigned after just thirteen days later rather than lose a confidence vote in the House.

The Congress, as the second largest party, declined the invitation to form a government.