Editing Prime Minister of India (section)

=== 1984–1999 ===
After Indira, [[Rajiv Gandhi|Rajiv]]—her eldest son and 40 years old at the time—was sworn in on the evening of 31 October 1984, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the office of prime minister. Rajiv immediately called for a general election. In the subsequent [[1984 Indian general election|general election]], the Congress secured a [[supermajority]], winning 401 of 552 seats in the [[Lok Sabha]], the maximum number received by any party in the history of India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/29/newsid_3314000/3314987.stm|title=1984: Rajiv Gandhi wins landslide election victory|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19841231&id=sTdTAAAAIBAJ&pg=3454,6835384&hl=en|title=Rajiv Gandhi takes oath as India's Prime Minister|date=31 December 1984|website=[[Deseret News]]|location=New Delhi|issn=0745-4724|access-date=5 April 2018|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> [[V. P. Singh|Vishwanath Pratap Singh]]—first [[Minister of Finance (India)|finance minister]] and then later [[Minister of Defence (India)|defence minister]] in Gandhi's cabinet—uncovered irregularities, in what became known as the [[Bofors scandal]], during his stint at the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]]; Singh was subsequently expelled from Congress and formed the [[Janata Dal]] and—with the help of several anti-Congress parties—also formed the [[National Front (India)|National Front]], a coalition of many political parties.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/18/world/new-opposition-front-in-india-stages-lively-rally.html?scp=1&sq=%22v%20p%20singh%22%20%22jan%20morcha%22&st=cse|title=New Opposition Front in India Stages Lively Rally|last=Crossette|first=Barbara|date=18 September 1988|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=5 April 2018|issn=0362-4331|oclc=1645522}}</ref>

In the [[1989 Indian general election|general election of 1989]], the National Front—with outside support from the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) and the [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]]—came to power.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/02/world/indian-opposition-chooses-a-premier.html?scp=14&sq=%22v%20p%20singh%22&st=cse|title=Indian opposition chooses a premier|last=Crossette|first=Barbara|date=2 December 1989|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=5 April 2018|issn=0362-4331|oclc=1645522}}</ref> [[V. P. Singh]] was elected prime minister.<ref name=":1" /> During a tenure of less than a year, Singh and his government accepted the [[Mandal Commission]]'s recommendations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mandal-vs-mandir/|title=Mandal vs Mandir|last=Malhotra|first=Inder|date=23 March 2015|work=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=5 April 2018|publisher=[[Indian Express Group]]|oclc=70274541}}</ref> Singh's tenure came to an end after he ordered the arrest of BJP member [[L. K. Advani|Lal Krishna Advani]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/30/world/india-ready-to-bar-hindu-move-today.html|title=India ready to bar Hindu move today|last=Crossette|first=Barbara|date=30 October 1990|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=5 April 2018|issn=0362-4331|oclc=1645522}}</ref> as a result, BJP withdrew its outside support to the government, V. P. Singh lost the subsequent [[Motion of no confidence|vote-of-no-confidence]] 146–320 and had to resign.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/08/world/india-s-cabinet-falls-as-premier-loses-confidence-vote-by-142-346-and-quits.html?sec=travel&pagewanted=all|title=India's Cabinet Falls as Premier Loses Confidence Vote, by 142–346, and Quits|last=Crossette|first=Barbara|date=8 November 1990|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=5 April 2018|issn=0362-4331|oclc=1645522}}</ref> After V. P. Singh's resignation, [[Chandra Shekhar]] along with 64 [[Member of Parliament (India)|members of parliament]] (MPs) floated the [[Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/06/world/dissidents-split-indian-prime-minister-s-party.html?scp=16&sq=%22v%20p%20singh%22&st=cse|title=Dissidents Split Indian Prime Minister's Party|last=Crossette|first=Barbara|date=6 November 1990|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=5 April 2018|issn=0362-4331|oclc=1645522}}</ref> and proved a majority in the [[Lok Sabha]] with support from Congress.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/10/world/rival-of-singh-becomes-india-premier.html?scp=17&sq=%22v%20p%20singh%22&st=cse|title=Rival of Singh Becomes India Premier|last=Hazarika|first=Sanjoy|date=10 November 1990|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=5 April 2018|issn=0362-4331|oclc=1645522}}</ref> But Shekhar's premiership did not last long, Congress proceeded to withdraw its support; Shekhar's government fell as a result, and [[1991 Indian general election|new election]]s were announced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/Chandra-Shekhar-critical/article14790254.ece|title=Chandra Shekhar critical|date=8 July 2007|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=5 April 2018|publisher=[[The Hindu Group]]|agency=[[Press Trust of India]]|location=New Delhi|issn=0971-751X|oclc=13119119}}</ref>

Rajiv Gandhi [[Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi|was assassinated]] on the campaign trail for the [[1991 Indian general election|general election of 1991]], and the Congress—under the leadership of [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]]—rode a sympathy wave to form a [[minority government]]; Rao became the first PM of [[South India]]n origin.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4120429.stm|title=Narasimha Rao – a reforming PM|date=23 December 2004|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> After the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]], India was on the brink of [[Sovereign bankruptcy|bankruptcy]], so, Rao took steps to [[liberalise]] the economy, and appointed [[Manmohan Singh]]—an economist and a former [[List of Governors of Reserve Bank of India|governor of the Reserve Bank of India]]—as finance minister.<ref name=":3" /> Rao and Singh then took various steps to liberalise the economy,<ref name=":3" /> these resulted in unprecedented economic growth in India.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=DeLong|first=J. Bradford|author-link=J. Bradford DeLong|date=July 2001|title=India Since Independence: An Analytic Growth Narrative|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/246458096|journal=In Search of Prosperity: Analytic Narratives on Economic Growth|access-date=5 April 2018|via=Research Gate}}</ref> His premiership, however, was also a witness to the [[demolition of the Babri Masjid]], which resulted in the death of about 2,000 people.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11436552|title=Timeline: Ayodhya holy site crisis|date=6 December 2012|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> Rao, however, did complete five continuous years in office, becoming the first prime minister outside of the [[Nehru–Gandhi family|Nehru—Gandhi family]] to do so.<ref name=":3" />

After the end of Rao's tenure in May 1996, the nation saw four prime ministers in a span of three years, ''{{Abbr|[[viz.]]|videlicet}}'', two tenures of [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]]; one tenure of [[H. D. Deve Gowda]] from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997; and one tenure of [[I. K. Gujral]] from 21 April 1997 to 19 March 1998. The government of Prime Minister Vajpayee—elected in [[1998 Indian general election|1998]]—took some concrete steps; in May 1998—after a month in power—the government announced the [[Pokhran-II|conduct of five underground nuclear explosions]] in [[Pokhran]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9805/17/india.nuke.tests/|title=India releases pictures of nuclear tests|date=17 May 1998|website=[[Cable News Network]]|publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]]|location=New Delhi|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> In response to these tests, many [[Western world|western countries]], including the United States, imposed [[economic sanctions]] on India,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/05/98/india_nuclear_testing/92797.stm|title=US imposes sanctions on India|date=13 May 1999|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> but, due to the support received from Russia, France, the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf|Gulf countries]] and some other nations, the sanctions—were largely—not considered successful.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Morrow|first1=Daniel|last2=Carriere|first2=Michael|date=1 January 1999|title=The economic impacts of the 1998 sanctions on India and Pakistan|journal=The Nonproliferation Review|volume=6|issue=4|pages=1–16|doi=10.1080/10736709908436775|issn=1073-6700}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=India's nuclear diplomacy after Pokhran II|last=Rai|first=Ajai K.|publisher=[[Longman]]|others=Foreword by [[Ved Prakash Malik]]|year=2009|isbn=978-8131726686|location=Delhi|oclc=313061697}}</ref> A few months later in response to the Indian nuclear tests, Pakistan also [[Chagai-I|conducted nuclear tests]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Eating grass: The making of the Pakistani bomb|last=Khan|first=Feroz Hassan|publisher=[[Stanford University Press]]|year=2012|isbn=978-0804784801|location=[[Stanford, California|Stanford]]|pages=281|oclc=816041307}}</ref> Given the deteriorating situation between the two countries, the governments tried to improve bilateral relations. In February 1999, India and Pakistan signed the [[Lahore Declaration]], in which the two countries announced their intention to annul mutual enmity, increase trade and use their nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/feb/21bus.htm|title=Vajpayee, Sharief sign Lahore Declaration|last=Iype|first=George|date=21 February 1999|work=[[Rediff.com]]|location=Lahore|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref>

In May 1999, [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] withdrew from the ruling [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA) coalition;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/318912.stm|title=Jayalalitha: Actress-turned-politician|date=14 April 1999|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> Vajpayee's government, hence, became a [[Caretaker government|caretaker]] one after losing a motion-of-no-confidence 269–270, this coincided with the [[Kargil War]] with Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/india-was-ready-to-cross-loc-use-nuclear-weapons-in-kargil-war-115120300518_1.html|title=India was ready to cross LoC, use nuclear weapons in Kargil war|date=3 December 2015|work=[[Business Standard]]|access-date=5 April 2018|publisher=Business Standard Ltd|location=New Delhi|oclc=496280002}}</ref> In the subsequent [[1999 Indian general election|October 1999 general election]], the BJP-led NDA and its affiliated parties secured a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha, winning 299 of 543 seats in the [[lower house]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/468258.stm|title=Indian election: What they said|date=8 October 1999|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref>