Even though he was widely considered one of India's finest MPs, no one knew how good a minister he would make until Prime Minister Morarji Desai appointed him external affairs minister in his Janata Party Cabinet in 1977.

Vajpayee remembers that competent two-year tenure often. He cites his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly -- delivered in shudh Hindi -- as the most unforgettable moment in his life.