BJP Foundation Day 2023: Know Date, History and Significance of the Day That Marks Founding of India's Ruling Party

Mumbai, April 5: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) will be celebrating its 43rd foundation day tomorrow, April 6. Formed on April 6, 1980, by the leader of a defunct political party, the BJP has come a long way in its run till now. The party contested the Lok Sabha Election for the first time in 1984, winning only two seats. Now the party has 303 seats in the lower house of the Parliament and over 100 members in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House. Since its inception, BJP is currently on its high ride as the World's largest party.

The right-wing party is giving a tough fight to the Indian National Congress in the country's political scenario. Under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, the saffron party made a sweeping victory in the 2014 General Elections. At present, the stronghold maintained by the party in central and state governments is largely derived from the popularity of the prime minister, also referred to as the ‘Modi wave’. PM Narendra Modi Urges BJP Workers To Reach Out to People, Hold Gatherings at Every District.

BJP Foundation Day Date:

The party was officially floated on April 6, 1980, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its first president, by the leaders of the defunct party - Jana Sangh. The founding principles of the party were Cultural Nationalism and Gandhian Socialism. 'Mujhe Chalte Jana Hai': BJP Releases Animated Video to Slam Opposition for Calling PM Narendra Modi ‘Gautam Das', 'Chaiwala'; Highlights Government's Achievements.

BJP Foundation Day History:

The BJP's origins lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), popularly known as the Jana Sangh, founded by Syama Prasad Mukherjee who broke away from Nehru's leadership in 1951 in response to the politics of the dominant Congress party. It was founded in collaboration with the Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). To date, it is regarded as the political arm of the Hindu organisation.

The party made its first debut in elections with the 1984 general polls, winning only two seats. Following then, the party made structural changes in its ideology with Hindu nationalism at its core by upholding the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

In 1996, the party rose to the power in centre under the leadership of Vajpayee, but that lasted only 13 days. The party lacked a majority in Lok Sabha despite being the single largest party. The party again formed a government in 1998 with BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but could not hold the chair as it collapsed within a year. In the fresh polls that were held after this, the party was again elected to power and completed the full 5-year term. BJP and Bajpayee thus became the first non-Congress government in the country that completed a full term.

The party, however, faced poll defeat in 2004, making way for Congress to make government as Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister who held the chair for two terms. By 2014, Congress witnessed anti-incumbency and corruption scandals like 2G, commonwealth, and the rising popularity of the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP once again turned the tables and recorded a landslide victory in the general elections.

BJP Foundation Day Significance:

The party has been playing the role of political and ideological rival to the Congress. In 1975 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency on the country, members of the BJS held strong protests against the Congress regime. Keeping up with its outright Hindutva policies, the party launched a major movement against the 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya and demolished it on December 6, 1992. This led to large-scale communal riots and still plays as a huge trigger for communal polarisation.

Before reaching its current position, the party had to overcome numerous challenges and failures in the last four decades. BJP under Modi-Amit Shah rule has always been vocal about putting India's interests ahead, being bold on the nationalism agenda. Under PM Modi's leadership, the BJP-led NDA government took some very bold steps like demonetisation, implementing GST, conducting surgical and airstrikes, banning triple talaq, abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), bringing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 -- CAA. Riding on the back of its hardcore Hindu nationalism and countrymen's lack of trust on Congress, BJP is sweeping polls after polls, and it appears to be unstoppable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2023 11:28 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).