Editing Atal Bihari Vajpayee (section)

== Personal life ==
Vajpayee remained a bachelor for his entire life.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/to-evade-marriage-atal-bihari-vajpayee-locked-himself-up-for-3-days/articleshow/65447395.cms|title=To evade marriage, Atal Bihari Vajpayee locked himself up for 3 days |work=The Times of India|access-date=18 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723190653/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/to-evade-marriage-atal-bihari-vajpayee-locked-himself-up-for-3-days/articleshow/65447395.cms|archive-date=23 July 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> He adopted and raised Namita Bhattacharya as his own child, the daughter of longtime friend [[Rajkumari Kaul]] and her husband B. N. Kaul. His adopted family lived with him.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/mrs-kaul-delhis-most-famous-unknown-other-half-passes-away-2/|title=Mrs Kaul, Delhi's most famous unknown other half, passes away|date=4 May 2014|work=The Indian Express|access-date=16 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131194904/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/mrs-kaul-delhis-most-famous-unknown-other-half-passes-away-2/|archive-date=31 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Unlike purist [[Brahmin]]s who shun meat and alcohol, Vajpayee was known to be fond of [[whisky]] and meat.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/20/world/man-atal-bihari-vajpayee-sworn-india-s-leader-ambiguity-his-wake.html |title=Man in the News: Atal Bihari Vajpayee; Sworn In as India's Leader, Ambiguity in His Wake |last=Burns |first=John F. |date=20 March 1998 |work=The New York Times |access-date=18 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818120652/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/20/world/man-atal-bihari-vajpayee-sworn-india-s-leader-ambiguity-his-wake.html |archive-date=18 August 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/atal-bihari-vajpayee-prime-minister-who-made-india-a-nuclear-power-dies-at-93/2018/08/16/e04da47e-a150-11e8-93e3-24d1703d2a7a_story.html |title=Atal Bihari Vajpayee, prime minister who made India a nuclear power, dies at 93 |last1=Lakshmi |first1=Rama |date=16 August 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=18 August 2018 |last2=Joshi |first2=Sopan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818115208/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/atal-bihari-vajpayee-prime-minister-who-made-india-a-nuclear-power-dies-at-93/2018/08/16/e04da47e-a150-11e8-93e3-24d1703d2a7a_story.html |archive-date=18 August 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref> He was a noted poet, writing in Hindi. His [[#Published works|published works]] include ''Kaidi Kaviraj Ki Kundalian'', a collection of poems written during the 1975–1977 emergency, and ''Amar aag hai''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/profile-atal-behari-vajpayee-130310.html |title=Profile: Atal Behari Vajpayee |last=Popham |first=Peter |date=25 May 2002 |work=The Independent |access-date=18 August 2018 |archive-date=18 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818130646/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/profile-atal-behari-vajpayee-130310.html |url-status=live }}</ref> With regard to his poetry he wrote

<blockquote>"My poetry is a declaration of war, not an [[Exordium (rhetoric)|exordium]] to defeat. It is not the defeated soldier's drumbeat of despair, but the fighting warrior's will to win. It is not the despirited voice of dejection but the stirring shout of victory."<ref>''Values, Vision & Verses of Vajpayee: India's Man of Destiny'' page&nbsp;– iii</ref> </blockquote>