Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was more than just a leader; he was both participant in and witness to some of the most defining experiments of Indian democracy, ideology, and politics in power. To understand Indian politics, Vajpayee’s life and his political journey are essential reading for any serious thinker or researcher.

Abhishek Choudhary’s new book Believer’s Dilemma – a sequel to his earlier work The Ascent of the Hindu Right – traces Vajpayee’s pivotal moments: his role as mediator in the Janata Party government, the founding of the BJP, the trauma of the 1984 defeat, his disagreements over the Ayodhya movement, and his eventual rise to national leadership in the 1990s.

Choudhary argues that Vajpayee’s political persona was defined by a constant tension between inclusiveness and pragmatism. At times he stood apart from the RSS and his party’s hard line; at others he compromised to secure power. It is this duality that makes him one of the most layered figures in Indian politics.

Watch this special interview.