Bharatiya Janata Party: Difference between revisions

| logo              = Bharatiya Janata Party logo.svg

| colorcode        = {{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}

| president        = [[Jagat Prakash Nadda]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Jagat Prakash Nadda: BJP's new national president rises through the ranks, faces several challenges |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/jagat-prakash-nadda-bjps-new-national-president-rises-through-the-ranks-faces-several-challenges-2258301.html |access-date= 16 March 2020 |work=Zee News |date=20 January 2020 |author=Ananya Das}}</ref>

| national_convener = <--Bharatiya Janata Party does not have any National Convener.-->

| general_secretary  = [[B. L. Santhosh]]<br />Shiv Prakash<ref>{{cite news |title=Meet BL Santhosh, newly appointed general secretary of BJP |url=https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/meet-bl-santhosh-newly-appointed-general-secretary-of-bjp-1563168633822.html |access-date=16 March 2020 |work=live mint |date=15 July 2019 |author=Gyan Varma}}</ref>

| treasurer = [[Rajesh Agarwal]]<ref>{{Cite news|date=27 September 2020|title=Rajesh Agarwal gets BJP treasurer post|work=United News of India|url=http://www.uniindia.com/rajesh-agarwal-gets-bjp-treasurer-post/north/news/2178686.html|access-date=12 October 2020}}</ref>

| ppchairman        = [[Narendra Modi]]<br /> ([[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]])

| loksabha_leader  = [[Narendra Modi]]<br /> ([[Leader of the House in Lok Sabha]])<ref name=":3000">{{cite news |title=BJP announces new parliamentary committee; Modi leader in Lok Sabha, Rajnath his deputy |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bjp-announces-parliamentary-party-executive-committee-1547512-2019-06-12 | access-date=16 March 2020 |work=India Today |date=12 June 2019}}</ref>

| rajyasabha_leader = [[Piyush Goyal]]<br /> ([[Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha]])

| foundation        = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|p=y|1980|04|06}}<ref name=":4000">{{cite news|title=BJP's foundation day: Brief history of the achievements and failures of the party |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/bhartiya-janata-party-narendra-modi-bjp-bjps-37th-foundation-day-brief-history-of-the-achievements-and-failures-of-the-party-4601637/ | access-date=17 March 2020 |work=The Indian Express |date=6 April 2019}}</ref>

| founder          = {{ublist | [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] | [[L. K. Advani]]<ref name=":3001">{{cite news |title=What you need to know about India's BJP |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/india-bjp-190523053850803.html |access-date=16 March 2020 |work=AlJazeera |date=23 May 2019}}</ref>}}

| headquarters      = 6-A, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, <br />[[New Delhi]] – 110002<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjp-gets-a-new-address-today-pm-modi-to-inaugurate-multi-storey-office-1814043|title=BJP Gets A New Address; Soul Of New Office Is The Party Worker, Says PM Modi|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

| alliance          = * [[National Democratic Alliance]]<br />([[India|All India]])<ref name="bjp0right">{{cite news |title=BJP + 29 Parties = National Democratic Alliance |url=https://www.ndtv.com/elections-news/bjp-29-parties-national-democratic-alliance-562972 |access-date=17 March 2020 |work=NDTV |date=20 May 2014 |author=Devesh Kumar}}</ref>

* [[North-East Democratic Alliance]]<br />([[Northeast India]])<ref>{{cite news |title=BJP seals alliances in Northeast, aims 22 LS seats |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/bjp-seals-alliances-in-northeast-aims-22-ls-seats/article26519732.ece |access-date=17 March 2020 |work=The Hindu Business Line |date=13 March 2019}}</ref>

* [[United Democratic Alliance (Nagaland)|United Democratic Alliance]]<br />([[Nagaland]])<ref>{{cite news | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/nagaland/nagaland-new-opposition-less-government-united-democratic-alliance-7519135/ | title=Nagaland's new 'Opposition-less' government to be called United Democratic Alliance | newspaper=The Indian Express | first=Tora | last=Agarwala | date=19 September 2021 |access-date=26 September 2021}}</ref>

| loksabha_seats    = {{Composition bar|301|543|hex=#FF9900}} ('''540''' MPs & '''3''' Vacant)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/Updates/EventLSS_637191127420791113_31994.pdf|title=Party Position pdf}}</ref>

| rajyasabha_seats  = {{Composition bar|101|245|hex=#FF9900}} ('''237''' MPs & '''8''' Vacant)<ref>{{cite web|title = Alphabetical Party Position in the Rajya Sabha|url=https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/member_site/partymemberlist.aspx}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://164.100.47.5/NewMembers/partystrength.aspx|title=Strengthwise Party Position in the Rajya Sabha|publisher=Rajya Sabha|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606134311/http://164.100.47.5/NewMembers/partystrength.aspx|archive-date=6 June 2017}}</ref><!-- Please do not change without a more up-to-date reference --><!-- Seats after Rajya Sabha election, 2020 -->

| state_seats_name = [[State Legislative Assembly (India)|State Legislative Assemblies]]

| state_seats       = {{Composition bar|1376|4036|hex=#FF9900}}

| state2_seats_name = [[State Legislative Council (India)|State Legislative Councils]]

| state2_seats      = {{Composition bar|115|426|hex=#FF9900}}

| no_states        = {{Composition bar|17|28|hex=#FF9900}} ('''28''' States)<ref>{{cite news |title=BJP gains back Madhya Pradesh in just 15 months after losing it|url= https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bjp-s-shivraj-singh-chouhan-sworn-in-as-madhya-pradesh-cm-for-fourth-time-1658867-2020-03-23 |work=India Today |date=26 November 2019}}</ref><br />

| ideology          = {{nowrap|[[Nationalism]]<ref>—Henrik Berglund. “Religion and Nationalism: Politics of BJP.” [[Economic and Political Weekly]] 39, no. 10 (2004): 1064–70. {{JSTOR|4414737}}.<br>—Chhibber, Pradeep K. “State Policy, Party Politics, and the Rise of the BJP.” In Democracy without Associations: Transformation of the Party System and Social Cleavages in India, 159–76. [[University of Michigan Press]], 1999. {{jstor|10.3998/mpub.23136.12}}.</ref><br/>[[Hindutva]]<ref name="Angana.p">—{{cite book |last1=Chatterji |first1=Angana P. |last2=Hansen |first2=Thomas Blom |last3= Jaffrelot|first3=Christophe |date=2019 |title=Majoritarian State: How Hindu Nationalism Is Changing India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcObDwAAQBAJ&q=BJP%27s+Hindutva+ideology |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |pages=100–130 |isbn=978-0-19-007817-1 |author-link1=Angana P. Chatterji |author-link2=Thomas Blom Hansen |author-link3=Christophe Jaffrelot }}<br>—[[Christophe Jaffrelot|Jaffrelot, Christophe]], and Cynthia Schoch. “Conclusion to Part I.” In Modi’s India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy, 148–54. [[Princeton University Press]], 2021. {{doi|10.2307/j.ctv1dc9jzx.12}}.<br/>—{{cite book|title=Ideology and Identity: The Changing Party Systems of India|author=Chhibber, Pradeep K. and Verma, Rahul|isbn=978-0-190-62390-6|lccn=2018001733|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nJRqDwAAQBAJ|year=2018|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] }}</ref><br />[[Integral humanism (India)|Integral humanism]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Matthew |last2=Garnett |first2= Mark | last3=Walker |first3= David M |date=2017|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=smxQDwAAQBAJ&q=BJP+a+conservatism |title=Conservatism and Ideology |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=45–50 |isbn=978-1-317-52900-2 }}</ref><br />[[Conservatism]]<ref name="mathewjoh">—{{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Matthew |last2=Garnett |first2= Mark | last3=Walker |first3= David M |date=2017

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=smxQDwAAQBAJ&q=BJP+a+conservatism |title=Conservatism and Ideology  |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=45–50 |isbn=978-1-317-52900-2 }}<br />—Björn Goldstein (2015) The unconscious Indianization of ‘Western’ conservatism – is Indian conservatism a universal model?, Global Discourse, 5:1, 44-65, {{doi|10.1080/23269995.2014.946315}}<br />—{{cite journal |last1=Mazumdar |first1=Surajit |date= 2017|title=Neo-Liberalism and the Rise of Right-Wing Conservatism in India |url= https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/id/eprint/93182 |publisher=[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages= 115–131 |doi= |access-date=24 April 2022}}<br/>—{{cite book|title=Ideology and Identity: The Changing Party Systems of India|author=Chhibber, Pradeep. K. and Verma, Rahul|isbn=978-0-190-62390-6|lccn=2018001733|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nJRqDwAAQBAJ|pages=50–150|year=2018|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] }}</ref><br />[[Neoliberalism]]<ref name ="Surajit 2017">—{{Cite book|last=Mazumdar|first=Surajit|title=Neo-Liberalism and the Rise of Right-Wing Conservatism in India|publisher=University Library of Munich|year=2017|location=Germany}}<br />—{{cite journal |last1=Gopalakrishnan |first1=Shankar |title=Defining, Constructing and Policing a 'New India': Relationship between Neoliberalism and Hindutva |journal=Economic & Political Weekly |date=7 July 2006 |volume=41 |issue=26 |pages=2803–2813 |jstor=4418408 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4418408 |access-date=26 September 2020}}<br />—{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Kalpana |last2=Ung Loh |first2=Jennifer |last3=Purewal |first3=Navtej |title=Gender, Violence and the Neoliberal State in India |journal=Feminist Review |date=July 2018 |volume=119 |issue=1 |pages=1–6 |doi=10.1057/s41305-018-0109-8|s2cid=149814002 |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/25540/1/wilson-ung-loh-purewal-introduction-gender-violence-and-the-neoliberal-state-in-India.doc.pdf }}<br />—{{cite journal |last1=Mathur |first1=Navdeep |title=The low politics of higher education: saffron branded neoliberalism and the assault on Indian universities |journal=Critical Policy Studies |date=2018 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=121–125 |doi=10.1080/19460171.2017.1403343|s2cid=148842457 }}</ref><br />[[Right-wing populism]]<ref>—{{cite journal|volume=26|issue=3|journal=Democratization|first1=Duncan|last1=McDonnell|year=2019|first2=Luis|last2=Cabrera|title=The right-wing populism of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (and why comparativists should care)|pages=484–501|doi=10.1080/13510347.2018.1551885|s2cid=149464986}}<br />—{{cite book|publisher=Koç University|title=Right-wing Populist Governments Rhetorical Framing of Economic Inequality : the Cases of BJP in India and AKP in Turkey|year=2019|first=Ezgi|last=Özçelik}}</ref>}}

| position          = <!-- Please do not change this without discussing on the talk page. Such changes will be removed -->[[Right-wing politics|Right-wing]]{{sfnm|1a1=Malik|1a2=Singh|1y=1992|1pp=318–336|BBC|2012|2a1=Banerjee|2y=2005|2p=3118}}<!-- Please do not change this without discussing on the talk page. Such changes will be removed -->

| membership        = {{nowrap|{{increase}}180 million (2019)}}<ref>—{{cite news|url =https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/bjp-to-add-7-cr-new-members-totalling-18-cr-nadda-119082900946_1.html|title =BJP's strength to rise by 70 million, totalling 180 million: J P Nadda |date = January 14, 2020 |access-date =  29 September 2021 |work= [[Business Standard]] }}<br />—{{cite news|url =https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bjp-to-add-7-crore-new-members-j-p-nadda/articleshow/70894220.cms |title = BJP to add 7 crore new members: J P Nadda |date = 29 August 2019|access-date = 29 August 2019 |work = [[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

| women            = [[BJP Mahila Morcha]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Quota for women in council of ministers among Mahila Morcha's suggestions for BJP poll manifesto |url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/quota-for-women-in-council-of-ministers-among-mahila-morchas-suggestions-for-bjp-poll-manifesto/articleshow/68738662.cms |access-date=17 March 2020 |work=Economic Times |date=5 April 2019 }}</ref>

| think_tank        = Public Policy Research Centre<ref>{{Cite web|title=Public Policy Research Centre|url=http://www.pprc.in/|access-date=22 July 2020}}</ref><ref name ="Thinktank">—{{cite news |url =https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/may/23/bjp-think-tank-offers-online-course-in-governance-babus-to-impart-lessons-2146940.html|title =BJP think tank offers online course in governance; babus to impart lessons|publisher =The New Indian Express|location =New Delhi|date =23 May 2020|website =newindianexpress.com|author =Express News Service|access-date =14 July 2020}} <br />—{{cite news |url =https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/bjp-think-tank-releases-modi-govt---s-100-day-report-card.html|title =BJP think tank releases Modi Govt's 100-day report card|publisher =[[The Pioneer (India)|The Pioneer]]|quote =Public Policy Research Center (PPRC), BJP’s think tank, on Monday released a comprehensive report on 100 major decisions and initiatives taken by Modi Government in first 100 days.|location =New Delhi|date =10 September 2019|website =dailypioneer.com|access-date =14 July 2020}}</ref>

|labour            = [[Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Need to Know BJP-led BMS is biggest labour union in India |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/ohkSVkDnWYnxvZyuzggTsL/Need-to-Know--BJPled-BMS-is-biggest-labour-union-in-India.html |access-date=17 March 2020 |work=live mint |date=15 January 2008 |author=Pragya Singh }}</ref>

| international    = [[International Democrat Union]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/02/indias-bharatiya-janata-party-joins-union-of-international-conservative-parties|title=India's Bharatiya Janata Party Joins Union of International Conservative Parties&nbsp;— The Diplomat|first=Akhilesh|last=Pillalamarri|work=The Diplomat|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228053454/https://thediplomat.com/2016/02/indias-bharatiya-janata-party-joins-union-of-international-conservative-parties/|archive-date=28 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Members|url = https://www.idu.org/members/|publisher = [[International Democrat Union]]|access-date = 25 September 2019|website = idu.org}}</ref><br />[[Asia Pacific Democrat Union]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://idu.org/asia-pacific-democrat-union-apdu/|title=International Democrat Union » Asia Pacific Democrat Union (APDU)|work=International Democrat Union|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616235358/http://idu.org/asia-pacific-democrat-union-apdu/|archive-date=16 June 2017|access-date=12 June 2017}}</ref>

| colours          = {{colour box|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}}} [[Saffron (color)|Saffron]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Iwanek|first=Krzysztof|date=10 September 2018|title=Paint It Saffron: The Colors of Indian Political Parties|url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/paint-it-saffron-the-colors-of-indian-political-parties/|access-date=5 July 2021|publisher=[[The Diplomat]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

| symbol = Lotus<br />[[File:Lotos flower symbol.svg|100px]]

The '''Bharatiya Janata Party''' ({{IPA-hns|bʱaːɾət̪iːjə dʒənət̪aː paːrtiː|pron|Hindi-Bharatiya Janata Party.ogg|pronunciation}}; {{lit|Indian People's Party}}; {{small|abbr.}} '''BJP''') is one of two major [[List of political parties in India|political parties in India]], along with the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/-In-Numbers-The-Rise-of-BJP-and-decline-of-Congress/articleshow/52341190.cms|title=In Numbers: The Rise of BJP and decline of Congress|work=The Times of India|date=19 May 2016|access-date=29 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105170102/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/-In-Numbers-The-Rise-of-BJP-and-decline-of-Congress/articleshow/52341190.cms|archive-date=5 November 2017}}</ref> It has been the [[List of ruling political parties by country|ruling political party]] of the [[India|Republic of India]] since 2014 under its [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]], [[Narendra Modi]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|date=25 May 2019|title=Lok Sabha Election results 2019: EC declares results of all 542 seats, BJP wins 303|work=Zee News|url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/live-updates/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-bjp-narendra-modi-nda-2205806|access-date=30 March 2020}}</ref> The BJP is a [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] party, and its policy has historically reflected [[Hindutva|Hindu nationalist]] positions.{{sfn|Banerjee|2005|p=3118}}{{sfn|Malik|Singh|1992|p=318}} It has close ideological and organisational links to the much older [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS).<ref>{{cite news|date=17 March 2019|title=Men, machinery and mind of RSS behind BJP's poll power punch|work=Business Standard|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/men-machinery-and-mind-of-rss-behind-bjp-s-poll-power-punch-119031700304_1.html|access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref> {{As of|2022|2|17}}, it is the country's largest political party in terms of representation in the [[Parliament of India|national parliament]] and [[State Legislature (India)|state legislatures]].

The BJP's origin lies in the [[Bharatiya Jana Sangh]], formed in 1951 by [[Syama Prasad Mukherjee|Shyama Prasad Mukherjee]].{{sfn|Swain|2001|p=60}} After the [[The Emergency (India)|State of Emergency]] in 1977, the Jana Sangh merged with several other parties to form the [[Janata Party]]; it defeated the incumbent Congress party in the [[1977 Indian general election|1977 general election]]. After three years in power, the Janata party dissolved in 1980 with the members of the erstwhile Jana Sangh reconvening to form the BJP. Although initially unsuccessful, winning only two seats in the [[1984 Indian general election|1984 general election]], it grew in strength on the back of the [[Ram Janmabhoomi]] movement. Following victories in several state elections and better performances in national elections, the BJP became the largest party in the parliament in 1996; however, it lacked a majority in the lower house of Parliament, and its government, under its then leader [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] lasted only 13 days.{{sfn|Guha|2007|p=633}}

After the [[1998 Indian general election|1998 general election]], the BJP-led coalition known as the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA) under Prime Minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] formed a government that lasted for a year. Following fresh elections, the NDA government, again headed by Vajpayee, lasted for a full term in office; this was the first non-Congress government to do so. In the [[2004 Indian general election|2004 general election]], the NDA suffered an unexpected defeat, and for the next ten years the BJP was the principal opposition party. Long time [[Gujarat]] Chief Minister [[Narendra Modi]] led it to a landslide victory in the [[2014 Indian general election|2014 general election]]. Since that election, Modi has led the NDA government as Prime Minister and {{As of|2022|4|lc=y}}, the alliance governs 18 states.

 

The official ideology of the BJP is [[Integral humanism (India)|integral humanism]], first formulated by [[Deendayal Upadhyaya]] in 1965. The party expresses a commitment to [[Hindutva]], and its policy has historically reflected [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] positions. The BJP advocates [[social conservatism]] and a foreign policy centred on nationalist principles. Its key issues have included the abrogation of the [[Article 370|special status to Jammu and Kashmir]], the building of a [[Ram Temple, Ayodhya|Ram Temple]] in [[Ayodhya]] and the implementation of a [[Uniform Civil code|uniform civil code]]. The 1998–2004 NDA government did not pursue any of these controversial issues, focusing instead on a largely [[economic liberalism|liberal]] economic policy prioritising [[globalisation]] and [[economic growth]] over social [[welfare]].{{sfn|Sen|2005|pp=251–272}} Two of these policies have been implemented since 2014. On 5 August 2019, the newly re-elected BJP government revoked the special status of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and on 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court of India passed the final verdict in the [[Ayodhya dispute|Ayodhya dispute case]] handing over the disputed land to a Trust to build the ''Ram Mandir''.<ref name="britannica-jammu-kashmir" /><ref name="Jan·OsmanczykOsmańczyk2003" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 November 2019|title=Ram Mandir verdict: Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case: Highlights |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ayodhya-babri-masjid-ram-mandir-case-verdict-highlights-supreme-court-declared-verdict-on-ram-janmabhoomi-case/articleshow/71978918.cms |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> A report by the [[V-Dem Institute]] described India as experiencing [[democratic backsliding]] during the [[Premiership of Narendra Modi|Modi-led BJP's rule]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/b6/55/b6553f85-5c5d-45ec-be63-a48a2abe3f62/briefing_paper_9.pdf|last1=Hindle|first1=Garry|last2=Lindberg|first2=Staffan|publisher=V-Dem Institute|date=2020|title=New Global Data on Political Parties: V-Party|access-date=9 October 2021|archive-date=24 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024234004/https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/b6/55/b6553f85-5c5d-45ec-be63-a48a2abe3f62/briefing_paper_9.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Nazifa Alizada, Rowan Cole, Lisa Gastaldi, Sandra Grahn, Sebastian Hellmeier, Palina Kolvani, Jean Lachapelle, Anna Lührmann, Seraphine F. Maerz, Shreeya Pillai, and Staffan I. Lindberg. 2021. Autocratization Turns Viral. Democracy Report 2021. University of Gothenburg: V-Dem Institute. https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/74/8c/748c68ad-f224-4cd7-87f9-8794add5c60f/dr_2021_updated.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914030243/https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/74/8c/748c68ad-f224-4cd7-87f9-8794add5c60f/dr_2021_updated.pdf |date=14 September 2021 }}</ref>

=== BJP (1980–present) ===

Although the newly formed BJP was technically distinct from the Jana Sangh, the bulk of its rank and file were identical to its predecessor, with Vajpayee being its first president.<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 April 2020|orig-year=7 April 1980|title=Forty years ago, April 7, 1980: BJP is born|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/forty-years-ago-april-7-1980-bjp-is-born-6350456/|access-date=12 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> Historian [[Ramachandra Guha]] writes that the early 1980s were marked by a wave of violence between Hindus and Muslims. The BJP initially moderated the [[Hindu nationalist]] stance of its predecessor the Jana Sangh to gain a wider appeal, emphasising its links to the Janata Party and the ideology of [[Gandhian Socialism]].{{sfn|Malik|Singh|1992|pp=318–336}} This was unsuccessful, as it won only two [[Lok Sabha]] seats in the [[1984 Indian general election|elections of 1984]].{{sfn|Malik|Singh|1992|pp=318–336}} The [[assassination of Indira Gandhi]] a few months earlier resulted in a wave of support for the [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] which won a record tally of 403 seats, contributing to the low number for the BJP.{{sfn|Guha|2007|p=579}}

The failure of Vajpayee's moderate strategy led to a shift in the ideology of the party toward a policy of more hardline Hindu nationalism.{{sfn|Malik|Singh|1992|pp=318–336}}{{sfn|Pai|1996|pp=1170–1183}} In 1984, Advani was appointed president of the party, and under him it became the political voice of the [[Ram Janmabhoomi]] movement. In the early 1980s, the [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] (VHP) began a campaign for the construction of a [[Ram Temple, Ayodhya|temple]] dedicated to the Hindu deity [[Rama]] at the [[Ayodhya dispute|disputed site]] of the [[Babri Masjid|Babri Mosque]] in [[Ayodhya]]. The mosque had been constructed by the Mughal Emperor [[Babur]] in 1527. There is a dispute about whether a temple once stood there.{{sfn|Jha|2003}} The agitation was on the basis of the belief that the site is the birthplace of Rama, and that a temple had been demolished to construct the mosque.{{sfn|Flint|2005|p=165}} The BJP threw its support behind this campaign and made it a part of their election platform. It won 86 [[Lok Sabha]] seats in 1989, a tally which made its support crucial to the [[National Front (India)|National Front]] government of [[V. P. Singh]].{{sfn|Guha|2007|pp=582–598}}

In September 1990, Advani began a ''[[rath yatra]]'' (chariot journey) to Ayodhya in support of the Ram temple movement. According to Guha, the imagery employed by the ''yatra'' was "religious, allusive, militant, masculine, and anti-Muslim", and the speeches delivered by Advani during the ''yatra'' accused the government of appeasing Muslims and practising "[[pseudo-secularism]]" that obstructed the legitimate aspirations of Hindus.{{sfn|Guha|2007|p=635}} Advani defended the yatra, stating that it had been free of the incident from [[Somnath]] to [[Ayodhya]], and that the English media were to blame for the violence that followed.{{sfn|Reddy|2008}} Advani was placed under preventive detention on the orders of the then [[Bihar]] chief minister [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]]. A large number of ''[[kar sevak]]s'' (religious volunteers) nonetheless converged at Ayodhya. On the orders of [[Uttar Pradesh]] chief minister [[Mulayam Singh Yadav]], 150,000 of them were detained, yet half as many managed to reach Ayodhya and some attacked the mosque. Three days of fighting with the paramilitary forces ended with the deaths of several ''kar sevaks''. Hindus were urged by VHP to "take revenge" for these deaths, resulting in riots against Muslims across Uttar Pradesh. {{sfn|Guha|2007|p=636}} The BJP withdrew its support from the V.P. Singh government, leading to fresh general elections. It once again increased its tally, to 120 seats, and won a majority in the [[Uttar Pradesh]] assembly.{{sfn|Guha|2007|pp=633–659}}

On 6 December 1992, the RSS and its affiliates organised a rally involving more than 100,000 VHP and BJP activists at the site of the mosque.{{sfn|Guha|2007|pp=633–659}} Under circumstances that are not entirely clear, the rally developed into a frenzied attack that ended with the [[Demolition of the Babri Masjid|demolition of the mosque]].{{sfn|Guha|2007|pp=633–659}} Over the following weeks, waves of violence between Hindus and Muslims erupted all over the country, killing over 2,000 people.{{sfn|Guha|2007|pp=633–659}} The government briefly banned the VHP, and many BJP leaders, including Advani were arrested for making inflammatory speeches provoking the demolition.{{sfn|NDTV|2012}}{{sfn|Al Jazeera|2009}} Several historians have said that the demolition was the product of a conspiracy by the Sangh Parivar, and not a spontaneous act.{{sfn|Guha|2007|pp=633–659}}

A [[Liberhan Commission|2009 report]], authored by Justice [[Manmohan Singh Liberhan]], found that 68 people were responsible for the demolition, mostly leaders from the BJP.{{sfn|Al Jazeera|2009}} Among those named were Vajpayee, Advani, and [[Murli Manohar Joshi]]. The report also criticised [[Kalyan Singh]], Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh during the demolition.{{sfn|Al Jazeera|2009}} He was accused of posting bureaucrats and police officers who would stay silent during the demolition.{{sfn|Al Jazeera|2009}} Anju Gupta, an [[Indian Police Service]] officer in charge of Advani's security, appeared as a prominent witness before the commission. She said that Advani and Joshi made provocative speeches that were a major factor in the mob's behaviour.{{sfn|Venkatesan|2005}} However in a Judgement on 30 September 2020,the [[Supreme Court of India]] acquitted all of the accused in the demolition including Advani and Joshi.<ref>{{Cite news|date=30 September 2020|title=All acquitted in Babri Masjid demolition case {{!}} Advani, MM Joshi hail verdict, Congress wants govt to appeal against it|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ayodhya-babri-masjid-demolition-case-verdict/article32728552.ece|access-date=12 April 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

In the parliamentary elections in 1996, the BJP capitalised on the communal polarisation that followed the demolition to win 161 Lok Sabha seats, making it the largest party in parliament.{{sfn|Guha|2007|p=633}} Vajpayee was sworn in as Prime Minister but was unable to attain a majority in the Lok Sabha, forcing the government to resign after 13 days.{{sfn|Guha|2007|p=633}}

==== ''Ekta Yatra'' (1991–1992) ====

A coalition of regional parties formed the government in 1996, but this grouping was short-lived, and mid-term polls were held in 1998. The BJP contested the elections leading a coalition called the [[National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA), which contained its existing allies like the [[Samata Party]], the [[Shiromani Akali Dal]], the [[Shiv Sena]] in addition to the [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (AIADMK) and the [[Biju Janata Dal]]. Among these regional parties, the Shiv Sena was the only one that had an ideology similar to the BJP; [[Amartya Sen]], for example, called the coalition an "ad hoc" grouping.{{sfn|Jones|2013}}{{sfn|Sen|2005|p=254}} The NDA had a majority with outside support from the [[Telugu Desam Party]] (TDP) and Vajpayee returned as Prime Minister.{{sfn|rediff.com|1998}} However, the coalition ruptured in May 1999 when the leader of AIADMK, [[Jayalalitha]], withdrew her support, and fresh elections were held again.{{sfn|Outlook|2013}}

 

On 13 October 1999, the NDA, without the AIADMK, won 303 seats in parliament and thus an outright majority. The BJP had its highest ever tally of 183. Vajpayee became Prime Minister for the third time; Advani became Deputy Prime Minister and [[Minister for Home Affairs (India)|Home Minister]]. This NDA government lasted its full term of five years. Its policy agenda included a more aggressive stance on defence and terror as well as [[neo-liberalism|neo-liberal]] economic policies.{{sfn|Sen|2005|pp=251–272}}

 

In 2001, [[Bangaru Laxman]], then the BJP president, was filmed accepting a bribe of {{INRConvert|100,000|year=2001}}{{sfn|Outlook|2012}} to recommend the purchase of hand-held thermal imagers for the Indian Army to the Defence Ministry, in [[Operation West End|a sting operation by ''Tehelka'' journalists]].{{sfn|Kattakayam|2012}}{{sfn|India Today|2001}} The BJP was forced to make him resign and he was subsequently prosecuted. In April 2012, he was sentenced to four years in prison.{{sfn|Tehelka|2001}}

 

On 27 February 2002, a [[Godhra train burning|train carrying Hindu pilgrims was burned]] outside the town of [[Godhra]], killing 59 people. The incident was seen as an attack upon Hindus, and sparked off massive anti-Muslim violence across the state of [[Gujarat]] that lasted several weeks.{{sfn|Ghassem-Fachandi|2012|pp=1–31}} The death toll estimated was as high as 2000, while 150,000 were displaced.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2013|p=16}} Rape, mutilation, and torture were also widespread.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2013|p=16}}{{sfn|Harris|2012}} The then-Gujarat chief minister [[Narendra Modi]] and several high-ranking government officials were accused of initiating and condoning the violence, as were police officers who allegedly directed the rioters and gave them lists of Muslim-owned properties.{{sfn|Krishnan|2012}} In April 2009, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate and expedite the Gujarat riots cases. In 2012, Modi was cleared of complicity in the violence by the SIT. BJP [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] [[Maya Kodnani]], who later held a cabinet portfolio in the Modi government, was convicted of having orchestrated one of the riots and sentenced to 28 years imprisonment;{{sfn|Hindustan Times|2014}}{{sfn|NDTV.com|2012}} she was later acquitted by the [[Gujarat High Court]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/naroda-patiya-case-gujarat-hc-acquits-maya-kodnani-upholds-babu-bajrangi-s-conviction-1216228-2018-04-20|title=Naroda Patiya verdict: Gujarat HC acquits Maya Kodnani, commutes Babu Bajrangi's sentence|work=India Today|date=20 April 2018|access-date=6 June 2018}}</ref> Scholars such as [[Paul Brass]], [[Martha Nussbaum]] and [[Dipankar Gupta]] have said that there was a high level of state complicity in the incidents.{{sfn|Brass|2005|pp=385–393}}{{sfn|Gupta|2011|p=252}}{{sfn|Nussbaum|2008|p=2}}

 

Vajpayee called for [[2004 Indian general election|early elections in 2004]], six months ahead of schedule. The NDA's campaign was based on the slogan "[[India Shining]]", which sought to depict it as responsible for a rapid economic transformation of the country.{{sfn|Ramesh|2004}} However, the NDA unexpectedly suffered a heavy defeat, winning only 186 seats in the [[Lok Sabha]], compared to the 222 of the Congress and its allies. [[Manmohan Singh]] succeeded Vajpayee as Prime Minister as the head of the [[United Progressive Alliance]]. The NDA's failure to reach out to rural Indians was provided as an explanation for its defeat, as was its divisive policy agenda.{{sfn|Ramesh|2004}}{{sfn|The Hindu|2004}}

 

 

[[File:Official Photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Potrait.png|thumb|right|245x245px|[[Narendra Modi]] became the [[Prime Minister of India]], following the [[2014 Indian general election]].]]

 

 

 

 

 

 

The BJP's Hindutva ideology has been reflected in many of its government policies. It supports the construction of the [[Ram Temple, Ayodhya|Ram Temple]] at the [[Ayodhya dispute|disputed site]] of the [[Babri Masjid|Babri Mosque]].{{sfn|Seshia|1998|pp=1036–1050}} This issue was its major poll plank in the 1991 general elections.{{sfn|Seshia|1998|pp=1036–1050}} However, the [[Demolition of Babri Masjid|demolition of the mosque]] during a BJP rally in 1992 resulted in a backlash against it, leading to a decline of the temple's prominence in its agenda.{{sfn|Seshia|1998|pp=1036–1050}} The education policy of the NDA government reorganised the [[National Council of Educational Research and Training]] (NCERT) and tasked it with extensively revising the textbooks used in Indian schools.{{sfn|Sen|2005|p=63}} Various scholars have stated that this revision, especially in the case of history textbooks, was a covert attempt to "[[Saffronisation|saffronise]]" Indian history.{{sfn|Sen|2005|p=63}}{{sfn|International Religious Freedom Report|2005}}{{sfn|The Hindu|2002}}{{sfn|Davies|2005}} The NDA government introduced [[Vedic astrology]] as a subject in college curricula, despite opposition from several leading scientists.{{sfn|BBC|January|2014}}

 

 

The BJP opposes [[Illegal immigration in India|illegal immigration into India]] from [[Bangladesh]].{{sfn|Gillan|2002|pp=73–95}} The party states that this migration, mostly in the states of Assam and West Bengal, threatens the security, economy and stability of the country.{{sfn|Gillan|2002|pp=73–95}} Academics have pointed out that the BJP refers to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh as refugees, and reserves the term "illegal" for Muslim migrants.{{sfn|Gillan|2002|pp=73–95}} Academic Michael Gillan perceived it as an attempt to use an emotive issue to mobilise Hindu sentiment in a region where the party has not been historically successful.{{sfn|Gillan|2002|pp=73–95}}{{sfn|Ramachandran|2003}} The party later became the party of government in Assam.<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 March 2021|title=Assam's fascinating politics & how RSS took BJP to the top in a state where it didn't exist|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/assams-fascinating-politics-how-rss-took-bjp-to-the-top-in-a-state-where-it-didnt-exist/623280/|access-date=5 May 2021|website=[[ThePrint]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

 

In 2013, the [[Supreme Court of India]] reinstated the controversial [[Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code]], which, among other things, criminalises homosexuality. There was a popular outcry, although clerics, including Muslim religious leaders, stated that they supported the verdict.{{sfn|Times of India|2013}}{{sfn|Buncombe|2014}} BJP president [[Rajnath Singh]] said that the party supported Section 377, because it believed that homosexuality was unnatural,{{sfn|Ramaseshan|2013}} though the party softened the stance after its victory in the 2014 general elections.{{sfn|Business Standard|2014}} Senior party members including [[Arun Jaitley]] and [[Harsh Vardhan (Delhi politician)|Harsh Vardhan]] openly support the rights of gender and sexual minorities in India. [[Vanathi Srinivasan]], a BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, launched the first book on LGBTQIA and [[Genderqueer]] in Tamil penned by [[Gopi Shankar Madurai]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenewsminute.com/news_sections/646 |title=Meet the BJP leader who released a book on LGBT rights |publisher=The News Minute |date=14 July 2014 |access-date=30 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031001843/http://www.thenewsminute.com/news_sections/646 |archive-date=31 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Its-a-great-honour-to-be-awarded-for-book-on-gender-variants-Gopi-Shankar/articleshow/38769130.cms |title=It's a great honour to be awarded for book on gender variants: Gopi Shankar |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=21 July 2014|access-date=30 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107191641/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Its-a-great-honour-to-be-awarded-for-book-on-gender-variants-Gopi-Shankar/articleshow/38769130.cms |archive-date=7 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Ashok Row Kavi |url=http://www.firstpost.com/living/rss-flip-flop-on-homosexuality-indicates-gay-men-in-india-remain-in-exile-writes-ashok-row-kavi-2685296.html |title=RSS flip-flop on homosexuality indicates gay men in India remain in exile, writes Ashok Row Kavi |publisher=Firstpost.com |date=19 March 2016 |access-date=30 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328022914/http://www.firstpost.com/living/rss-flip-flop-on-homosexuality-indicates-gay-men-in-india-remain-in-exile-writes-ashok-row-kavi-2685296.html |archive-date=28 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mumbaimirror.com/news/india/BJP-leader-launches-LGBT-rights-book-in-TN/articleshow/38157614.cms|title=BJP leader launches LGBT rights book in TN|work=Mumbai Mirror|access-date=23 May 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211022/http://www.mumbaimirror.com/news/india/BJP-leader-launches-LGBT-rights-book-in-TN/articleshow/38157614.cms|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> However, other leading party figures, such as [[Subramanian Swamy]], were strongly critical of the decision by the Supreme Court to strike down Section 377 in ''[[Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India]]''.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[News18 India]]|title='It Will Give Rise to HIV Cases': Subramanian Swamy Frowns at SC Verdict on Section 377|date=6 September 2018|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/it-will-give-rise-to-hiv-cases-gay-bars-bjps-subramanian-swamy-frowns-at-sc-verdict-on-sec-377-1869533.html}}</ref>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The organisation of the BJP is strictly hierarchical, with the [[List of Presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party|president]] being the highest authority in the party.{{sfn|Swain|2001|pp=71–104}} Until 2012, the BJP constitution mandated that any qualified member could be national or state president for a single three-year term.{{sfn|Swain|2001|pp=71–104}} This was amended to a maximum of two consecutive terms.{{sfn|Times of India|2012}}

 

 

 

 

 

The Bharatiya Janata Party was officially founded in 1980, and the first general election it contested was in 1984, in which it won only two [[Lok Sabha]] seats. Following the election in 1996, the BJP became the largest party in the Lok Sabha for the first time, but the government it formed was short-lived.{{sfn|Guha|2007|p=633}} In the elections of 1998 and 1999, it remained the largest party, and headed the ruling coalition on both occasions.{{sfn|Sen|2005|pp=251–272}} In the 2014 general election, it won an outright majority in parliament. From 1991 onwards, a BJP member has led the [[Leader of the Opposition (India)|Opposition]] whenever the party was not in power.{{sfn|National Informatics Centre|2014}}{{efn|For the electoral results of the BJP's predecessors, see the JP and BJS articles.}}

 

| {{decrease}} 1.84%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{{notelist|30em}}

 

 

{{refend}}  

{{Wikinews category|Bharatiya Janata Party}}{{Commons and category}}

*{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Bharatiya Janata Party|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica|Online Encyclopædia Britannica]]|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]]|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bharatiya-Janata-Party}}

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