Bharatiya Janata Party: India's Political Powerhouse

The Bharatiya Janata Party: India's Political Powerhouse

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is one of the two major parties in the Indian political system, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it stands as India's second-largest political party in terms of representation in both the Parliament and various state assemblies.

Core Ideology and Principles

The BJP designates its official ideology and central philosophy as "Integral Humanism," based upon a 1965 book by Deendayal Upadhyaya. The party advocates for:

• Hindu nationalism
• Social conservatism
• Self-reliance, as outlined by the Swadeshi movement
• A foreign policy centered around key nationalist principles.

The party's platform is generally considered to be on the right-wing of the Indian political spectrum.

Political Journey and Governance

The BJP led the national government along with a coalition of parties under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from 1998 to 2004, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee serving as Prime Minister. This marked a significant milestone, as it was the first non-Congress government to complete a full term in office. Following its election defeat in the 2004 general elections, the BJP has remained a pivotal force among the opposition parties in Parliament.

Origins: The Bharatiya Jana Sangh

The Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), the precursor to the BJP, was founded by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee in 1951 to support the nationalist cause. The party opposed the appeasement policies of the Indian National Congress and stood firmly against any compromise in matters of national and cultural integrity, unity, and identity. It was widely regarded as the political arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Leadership and Development of Jana Sangh

After Dr. Mookerjee's untimely death in prison in 1953 during an agitation demanding the effective integration of Jammu and Kashmir into India, the entire burden of nurturing the nascent organization and building it into a nationwide movement fell on the young shoulders of Deendayal Upadhyaya. For 15 years, he remained the organization's general secretary and meticulously built it. He raised a cadre of dedicated workers imbued with idealism and provided the party's entire ideological framework. He groomed future political leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani.

The vast majority of the party workers, including Upadhyaya himself, were drawn from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and brought with them the patriotic fervor and discipline of the parent organization.

Early Electoral Performance and Key Tenets

The Jana Sangh won just three Lok Sabha seats in the first general elections in 1952. However, it gradually increased its strength, and by 1962, it had become one of the most effective opposition parties in India, seriously challenging the power of the Congress in various North Indian states.

Key ideological tenets of the party included:

• Enforcing a uniform civil code for all Indians.
• Prohibiting cow slaughter.
• Abolishing the special status accorded to Jammu & Kashmir.
• Significantly promoting the usage of the Hindi language.