The 1998 Lok Sabha elections were the mid-term elections held only 17 months later. In the 1996 elections, no party could get a majority in the Lok Sabha. Out of 537 members, 163 members were elected from Bharatiya Janata Party. As the largest party, BJP first formed its government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But he resigned as there was no vote to prove the majority in the House. After that, various parties came together to form the third alliance and formed the government with the support of the Congress. In the period of 17 months, India H. D. Deve Gowda (1 June 1996 - 20 April 1997) and Indra Kumar Gujral (21 April 1997 - 18 March 1998) saw two Prime Ministers.