India, Dec. 25 -- Christmas Day this year marks the 101st birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In contemporary political memory, Vajpayee is recalled primarily as a prime minister, a statesman who reached out to Pakistan, conducted nuclear tests, and led India through a decisive coalition era. Yet, long before he became the face of governance, Vajpayee was first and foremost a parliamentarian. His formative years in the Lok Sabha, beginning with his debut in 1957, shaped not only his own political temperament but also the future trajectory of the All India Bhartiya Jan Sangh (BJS) and, eventually, the Bhartiya Janata Party.

Vajpayee entered Parliament at the young age of 33 as one of the four BJS members elected to the Second Lok S...