Vajpayee: A parliamentarian for 12 terms; 10 in Lok Sabha, twice in Rajya Sabha

Atal Bihari Vajpayye had a unique distinction of being a member of Parliament for 12 terms -- a 10-time Lok Sabha member and twice of Rajya Sabha.

The only time he lost a Lok Sabha election was against Madhavrao Scindia of Congress from Gwalior in 1984, when he lost by a margin of close to 2 lakh votes.

Vajpayee represented Lucknow in the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Lok Sabha from 1991 to 2009.

He represented Balrampur in the second and fourth Lok Sabha, Gwalior in the fifth and New Delhi in the sixth and the seventh LS.

In 1962 and 1986, he was elected to Rajya Sabha.

In December, 2005, Vajpayee had announced his retirement from electoral politics at a party gathering in Mumbai.

He was a parliamentarian for nearly 47 years.

Vajpayee served as the prime minister between 1996 and 2004 in three non-consecutive terms -- first for 13 days, then for 11 months between 1998 and 1999 and then from 1999-2004.