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Bharatiya Janata Party
Party chairperson	Rajnath Singh
General Secretary	Arun Jaitley
Parliamentary Party Chairperson	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Leader in Lok Sabha	Lal Krishna Advani (Opposition)
Leader in Rajya Sabha	Jaswant Singh (Opposition)
Founded	1980
Headquarters	11, Ashoka Road, New Delhi - 110001
Alliance	National Democratic Alliance
Seats in Lok Sabha	138
Seats in Rajya Sabha	48
Political ideology	Hindutva Indian nationalism Integral humanism Conservatism
Publications	BJP Today
Website	http://bjp.org
See also the politics of India series

The Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] (Hindi: भारतीय जनता पार्टी [भाजपा], translation: Indian People's Party), created in 1980, is a major centre-right Indian political party. It projects itself as a champion of the socio-religious cultural values of the country's majority community, conservative social policies, self reliance, strong economic growth, foreign policy driven by strong nationalist agenda, and strong national defense. Its constituency is strengthened by fellow members of the set of Hindu nationalist organizations informally known as the Sangh Parivar in which the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh plays a leading role. Image File history File links BJP-flag. ... Rajnath Singh was born on July 10, 1951 in village Bhabhora, Tehsil Chakia of district Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in a simple farmer’s family of the Late Ram Badan Singh and the Late Gujarati Devi. ... Arun Jaitley Arun Jaitley (born December 28, 1952) is an Indian politician and a former minister for commerce, industry, law and justice of the Union Government of India. ... Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Hindi: , IPA: ) (born December 25, 1924) was the Prime Minister of India, briefly in 1996, and again from March 19, 1998 until May 19, 2004. ... Lal Krishna Advani (Sindhi: लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी, لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي) ( ਲਾਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਆਡਵਾਨੀ ), also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi: लाल किशेन्चन्द आडवाणी, لال ڪشن چند آڏواڻي) (b. ... Jaswant Singh (left) with Donald Rumsfeld Jaswant Singh (born January 3, 1938) is an Indian politician. ... , This article is about the capital city of India. ... The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is a coalition in India. ... For Veer Savarkars book, see Hindutva (book). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Integral humanism is the political philosophy practised by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the former Bharatiya Jana Sangh of India. ... Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... Look up translate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The centre-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote political parties or organizations (such as think tanks) that stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. ... A political party is a political organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. ... Hindutva (Hinduness, a word coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his 1923 pamphlet entitled Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? ) is used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. ... The Sangh Parivar is a loose family of organizations, which promote the ideology of Hindutva. ... The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu terrorist organization in India. ...

The BJP, in alliance with several other parties, led the Government of India between 1998 and 2004, under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, its most senior leaders. It is the leading party within the National Democratic Alliance and leads the opposition. Judiciary Supreme Court of India Chief Justice of India High Courts District Courts Elections Political Parties Local & State Govt. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the Government of India. ... Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Hindi: , IPA: ) (born December 25, 1924) was the Prime Minister of India, briefly in 1996, and again from March 19, 1998 until May 19, 2004. ... A Deputy Prime Minister is a member of a nations cabinet who can take the position of acting Prime Minister when the real Prime Minister is temporarily absent. ... Lal Krishna Advani (Sindhi: लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी, لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي) ( ਲਾਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਆਡਵਾਨੀ ), also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi: लाल किशेन्चन्द आडवाणी, لال ڪشن چند آڏواڻي) (b. ... The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is a coalition in India. ...

History

Origins

The Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS, Indian People's Union) was founded in 1951 by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, a Bengali nationalist leader, former Union Minister and freedom-fighter. It was considered the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. But the fortunes of the young party took a dip in 1953, when Mookherjee was jailed in Kashmir by then Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. After his death in custody, the BJS lasted for 24 more years, but never seriously challenged the power of Indian National Congress, the only well-structured political party since India's independence. It did however groom future political leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Bharatiya Jana Sangh is the old name of Bharatiya Janata Party of India. ... Syama Prasad Mookerjee (also spelled as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee) (July 6, 1901 – May 23, 1953) was the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. ... The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between India and Bangladesh) on the Indian subcontinent with a history dating back four millennia. ... The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu terrorist organization in India. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ... Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Hindi: , IPA: (November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964) was a major political leader of the Congress Party, a pivotal figure in the Indian independence movement and the first Prime Minister of independent India. ... Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major political party in India. ... Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Hindi: , IPA: ) (born December 25, 1924) was the Prime Minister of India, briefly in 1996, and again from March 19, 1998 until May 19, 2004. ...

When Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency in 1975, postponing elections and misusing major central powers granted to her by the Constitution, the BJS joined a coalition of parties in active protest. Several of its leaders were arrested, including Vajpayee. But when Gandhi called elections in 1977, the BJS invested all its political and organizational capital in merging into the new Janata Party, a unified opposition party. A mixture of socialists, regionalists, and former Congressmen, the party was united in opposition to the Emergency and Indira Gandhi. The Janata Party defeated Indira Gandhi's Congress Party in a landslide victory and formed a government under Morarji Desai's leadership. Vajpayee, the most senior BJS leader, became Minister for External Affairs. His close friend and political comrade Lal Krishna Advani became the Minister for Information and Broadcasting. A young Indira Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, during one of the latters fasts Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Hindi: ) (19 November 1917 - October 31, 1984) She was the Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in... For other uses, see State of emergency (disambiguation). ... The Janata Party (Peoples Party in Hindi) was an Indian political party that contested the Indian Emergency (1975-77) and became the first political party to defeat the Indian National Congress in the 1977 elections, forming the national government from 1977 to 1980. ... Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (Hindi: ) (February 29, 1896 – April 10, 1995) was an Indian freedom fighter and the first Prime Minister that did not belong to the Indian Congress Party. ... A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the governmental foreign policy of a sovereign nation. ... Lal Krishna Advani (Sindhi: लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी, لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي) ( ਲਾਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਆਡਵਾਨੀ ), also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi: लाल किशेन्चन्द आडवाणी, لال ڪشن چند آڏواڻي) (b. ...

The Janata Party government lasted for two years, and following its collapse, Indira Gandhi's Congress returned in a thunderous landslide victory. When the Janata Party imploded, the nucleus of the BJS reorganised themselves. A young Indira Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, during one of the latters fasts Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Hindi: ) (19 November 1917 - October 31, 1984) She was the Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in...

Early years

The BJP was founded in December 1980, under the direct leadership of the duumvirate of Vajpayee and Advani. In the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, in which the Congress Party won a massive landslide victory following Indira Gandhi's assassination, the BJP obtained only 2 seats out of 543. But in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 88 seats. It supported the Janata Dal-led coalition of V.P. Singh. On October 23, 1990, BJP leader L.K. Advani was arrested by the Chief Minister of Bihar, Laloo Prasad Yadav, due to his agitation for the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. The BJP withdrew its support of this government, and it collapsed the next month. The Lok Sabhha (alternatively titled, the House of the People, by the Constitution of India) is the lower house in the Parliament of India. ... Janata Dal is an Indian political party which was formed through the merger one of the major Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal and a group of Congressmen led by V.P. Singh. ... Vishwanath Pratap Singh (born 25 June 1931) was the seventh Prime Minister of the Republic of India. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Lal Krishna Advani (born November 8, 1927/1929, Karachi) is an Indian politician. ... Laloo Yadav Laloo Prasad Yadav (Devanagari:लालू पृसाद य़ादव)(officially spelt Lalu Prasad) (born 1947-06-11) is the chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal political party of India. ... Ayodhya   (Hindi: अयोध्या, Urdu: ایودھیا IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. ...

In the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP became the premier opposition party, and the Congress government functioned as a minority. During this time, the Janata Dal, the other major offshoot of the Janata Party, saw itself crumble into regional factions, and many leaders opted for the BJP. Janata Dal is an Indian political party which was formed through the merger one of the major Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal and a group of Congressmen led by V.P. Singh. ... The Janata Party (Peoples Party in Hindi) was an Indian political party that contested the Indian Emergency (1975-77) and became the first political party to defeat the Indian National Congress in the 1977 elections, forming the national government from 1977 to 1980. ...

The First BJP Government (May 16 - 31st, 1996)

In 1996, the BJP became the single-largest political party in the parliament, with the Congress at its lowest tally ever. The President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, appointed Vajpayee as Prime Minister although he could not enlist the support of 271 MPs in the Lok Sabha.^[1] However, non-Congress, non-BJP parties were able to gain a majority of support and so Vajpayee was obliged to resign after serving the shortest time as prime minister in India - 13 days. A broad centre-left coalition government that proved its majority known as the United Front took over. The President of India (Hindi: Rashtrapati) is the head of state and first citizen of India and the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces. ... Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma (August 19, 1918 - December 26, 1999) was an Indian scholar and politician, most notable for serving as President of India from 1992 until 1997. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the Government of India. ... The Lok Sabhha (alternatively titled, the House of the People, by the Constitution of India) is the lower house in the Parliament of India. ... The United Front was a coalition of political parties which formed Indias government between 1996 and 1998. ...

The Second BJP Government (March 19, 1998 - October 13, 1999)

Lok Sabha elections were again held in 1998, and the NDA National Democratic Alliance obtained a simple majority. This time, the BJP (NDA) had allied with the AIADMK and the Biju Janata Dal besides its existing allies, the Samata Party, the Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiv Sena. Outside support was provided by the Telugu Desam Party. The NDA had a slim majority, and Vajpayee returned as Prime Minister. [3] But the coalition ruptured in May 1999 when the leader of AIADMK, Jayalalitha, withdrew her support, and fresh elections were again called. The National Democratic Alliance is a name used by at least two groups India - National Democratic Alliance (India) Iraq - National Democratic Alliance (Iraq) Sudan - National Democratic Alliance (Sudan) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is a regional political party in India. ... The Biju Janata Dal is a regional party of the Indian state of Orissa. ... The Samata Party is a political party in India. ... Akali Dal, also termed as Shiromani Akali Dal (Akali Religious Party), is a Sikh political party mainly based in Punjab, India. ... Shiv Sena (DevanāgarÄ«: शिव सेना Śīv Senā), meaning Army of Shiva, referring to Shivaji is a nationalist political party in India founded on June 19, 1966 by Bal Thackeray, who is currently the president of the party. ... Telugu Desam Party (Telugu :తెలుగు దేశం Party for Telugu Land and people) or TDP is a regional political party in Indias Andhra Pradesh state. ... All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is a regional political party in India. ... Jayalalitha Jayalalithaa Jayaram or J.Jayalalithaa (born February 24, 1948) is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, India (since March 2, 2002). ...

The NDA government provided significant support to the Prasar Bharati Act which gave government owned media channels more autonomy. The Act had been passed by the National Front government with BJP support. The government provided significant support to the Prasar Bharati Act which gave government owned media channels more autonomy. Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) was established on November 23, 1997 following a demand that the electronic media in India should be made free from the Government control and given autonomy in their functioning. ... The National Front was a coalition of communist political parties, led by the Janata Dal, which formed Indias government between 1989 and 1991. ... Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) was established on November 23, 1997 following a demand that the electronic media in India should be made free from the Government control and given autonomy in their functioning. ...

The new Government carried out an electoral promise with the 5 nuclear tests at Pokhran, in Rajasthan in 1998, which gave India a weaponised nuclear capacity. ^[2] The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of fusion or fission. ... Pokhran (also spelt Pokaran) is a city and a municipality in Jaisalmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. ... , Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ...

The Vajpayee administration also oversaw the country's defenses during the Kargil War, where the Indian military performed under harsh conditions and recovered strategic mountain posts from Pakistani irregulars who had occupied ground on the Indian side of the Line of Control. Combatants  India  Pakistan, Kashmiri secessionists, Islamic militants (Foreign Fighters) Strength 30,000 5,000 Casualties Indian Official Figures: 527 killed,[1][2][3] 1,363 wounded[4] 1 POW Pakistani Estimates: 357-500 killed[5][6] (Pakistan troops) 665+ soldiers wounded[5] 8 POW.[7] The Kargil War, also known... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ...

The Third BJP Government (October 13, 1999 - May 13, 2004)

On October 13, 1999, the BJP-led NDA won as many as 303 seats. The BJP won an all-time high of 183. Vajpayee won his third term as Prime Minister, and Advani became the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. This NDA Government lasted for its full five years. is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance passed the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act in 2002, a law increasing the powers of police authorities and intelligence agencies in an effort to curb subversive political activities and terrorism. The POTA was promulgated chiefly in response to the December 13, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Union Parliament. [4] The National Democratic Alliance is a name used by at least two groups India - National Democratic Alliance (India) Iraq - National Democratic Alliance (Iraq) Sudan - National Democratic Alliance (Sudan) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A police state is a political condition where the government maintains strict control over society, particularly through suspension of civil rights and often with the use of a force of secret police. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

The BJP had to deal with communal clashes in 2002 which started in the state of Gujarat, after an attack by a Muslim mob on a train compromising mostly of Hindu pilgrims.^[3]. The nature of the fire on the train has been a matter of dispute with some contending that it was instead an accident. As a result, communal clashes erupted in Gujarat with the Muslim minority being targeted by mobs for retribution. The state government of Gujarat, in BJP control under the leadership of Narendra Modi, has been accused of helping the Hindu mobs, a charge it denies. The National Human Rights Commission criticized this government, pointing to "a comprehensive failure on the part of the State Government of Gujarat to control persistent violations of rights"^[4], while a judicial commission headed by G.T. Nanavati, a former cheif justice of the Indian Supreme Court, constituted to examine allegations of Gujarat state administration's involvement in the riots of 2002 has said that there was no evidence as yet to implicate either Modi or his administration in the riots.^[5] Nevertheless, the central BJP-led government in Delhi condemned and called an end to the sectarian violence. Some of its National Democratic Alliance (India) allies called for Narendra Modi to resign and he did so before his party came to power again in the next election receiving a stunning 127 seats out of the 184 seat legislative assembly.^[6] Regardless of the mandate, the issue is hotly-debated with one side contending that Narendra Modi and the BJP encouraged sectarian hatred, while the BJP itself vehemently denies the charge calling it politically-motivated posturing for Muslim votes.^[7] This issue was brought to the forefront when Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress, called Narendra Modi a 'merchant of fear and death'^[8] in her party's 2007 Gujarat legislative assembly election campaign, a election which the BJP won again with a significant majority (117 out of 182 seats).^[9] This article is for the Indian state. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... Narendra Dāmodardās Modī (Gujarātī: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ... Girish Thakorlal Nanavati (born 1935 in Jambusar, Gujarat) is a retired judge from the Supreme Court of India. ... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is a coalition in India. ... Narendra Dāmodardās Modī (Gujarātī: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ... Narendra Dāmodardās Modī (Gujarātī: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ... Sonia Gandhi (Hindi: , IPA: ), born Sonia Antonia Maino on December 9, 1946, is an Italian-born Indian politician, the President of the Indian National Congress and the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. ... Narendra Dāmodardās Modī (Gujarātī: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ... This article is for the Indian state. ...

Vajpayee and his economic team, led by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, continued the policies initiated by the previous Congress Government under P V Narasimha Roa and Manmohan Singh,pushed through major privatizations of big government corporations, the liberalization of trade under World Trade Organization rules, opening the skies to commercial airlines, foreign investment and ownership and developed "Special Economic Zones" where industries could enjoy special infrastructure. The government especially catered to the rising information technology industry, and lowered taxes for middle-class Indians and businesses. Record increases in agricultural and industrial production were matched by hungry middle-class consumers, and increasing foreign trade and investment. In 2004, the Government signed the South Asia Free Trade Agreement with Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, a decision intended to vastly benefit over 1.6 billion people. Yashwant Sinha Yashwant Sinha (born November 6, 1937) is an Indian politician belonging to the BJP and a former finance minister and foreign minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayees cabinet. ... -1... Airline deregulation is the process of removing entry and price restrictions on airlines affecting, in particular, the carriers permitted to serve specific routes. ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information Technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... Countries under the South Asian Free Trade Area The Agreement on the South Asian Free Trade Area is an agreement reached at the 12th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit at Islamabad, capital of Pakistan on 6 January 2004. ... The Republic of Maldives is a country consisting territorially of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India. ...

Vajpayee took a personal interest in the Golden Quadrilateral project, a road system which aimed at linking the four corners of the nation with heavy, industrial roads. His education programs boosted the enrollment of children into primary schools, expanded aid for schools and pushed new-age technologies to improve schooling.^[10] Map showing the Golden Quadrilateral and other National Highways The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) is the largest express highway project in India launched by Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former prime minister of India. ...

Vajpayee was responsible for three efforts to build peaceful relations with Pakistan. In 1999, he rode on the inaugural Delhi-Lahore bus, and signed the Lahore Declaration with the Pakistani Prime Minister, committing India to peace. In 2001 Vajpayee invited Pakistan's military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, to Delhi, though the summit failed. And despite the terrorist attacks that froze relations for two and a half years, Vajpayee, in a speech to Parliament in August 2003, spoke of his "absolute last attempt of my life" to foster peace with Pakistan, de-freezing relations and invoking praise from world leaders. The Lahore Declaration was a historic declaration signed by the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. ... Pervez Musharraf (Urdu: ) (born 11 August 1943, Delhi) is the current President of Pakistan, Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. ...

The 2000 Tehelka scam severely affected the credibility of the NDA Government and saw the Congress and its allies boycotting Parliament. As a result, the then BJP President, Bangaru Laxman, and the Defense Minister, George Fernandes, resigned. Tehelka is an Indian weekly newspaper under the editorship of Tarun Tejpal. ... Bangaru Laxman was minister of state for railways in Government of India from 1999 to 2000. ... George Fernandes (born 3 June 1930) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. ...

After the 2004 General Election

The BJP and the NDA suffered a shock defeat in the general elections in 2004, and failed to muster a parliamentary majority. A.B. Vajpayee passed on the prime ministership to Dr. Manmohan Singh of the Congress Party, and its United Progressive Alliance. Legislative elections were held in India, the worlds largest democracy, in four phases between April 20 and May 10, 2004. ... This article is about the Prime Minister of India. ... The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ... United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is the present ruling coalition of political parties in India. ...

After the defeat was clear, several prominent BJP members including Sushma Swaraj and L.K. Advani, protested that Sonia Gandhi should not be permitted to hold the Prime Minister's office because of her Italian birth and other factors such as her lack of fluency in any Indian language, and her failure to take Indian citizenship for almost 15 years after her wedding to Rajiv Gandhi in spite of her claims to have "become an Indian in her heart the day she became Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law". [5] Sushma Swaraj is a former federal cabinet minister of India. ... Lal Krishna Advani (born November 8, 1927/1929, Karachi) is an Indian politician. ... Rajiv Ratna Gandhi राजीव गाधीं (IPA: ), born in Mumbai, (August 20, 1944 – May 21, 1991), the eldest son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi, was the 7th Prime Minister of India (and the 2nd from the Gandhi family) from his mothers death on 31 October 1984 until his resignation on December 2... A young Indira Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, during one of the latters fasts Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Hindi: ) (19 November 1917 - October 31, 1984) She was the Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in...

The defeat was incomprehensible to most pollsters and political analysts, who assumed that the BJP would win on the basis of Vajpayee's widespread popularity, the national economic boom and the revival of the peace process with Pakistan. Following the defeat, there was a perception amongst parts of the party cadre that the party had expected victory to come easy and thus volunteers of the organisation had not worked hard enough to canvass voters and recruit supporters, and that the political campaign of BJP had remained confined to television, radio and SMS (mobile phones). There was also a belief that socio-religious organizations close to the BJP (the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad), offered little assistance in these elections, due to the BJP government's non-pursuit of the Ayodhya temple issue, uniform civil code, and other ideological staples, and the attitude of many BJP leaders that the BJP did not require their aid to be successful. Independent analysts saw the defeat arising from a backlash by large classes of people who had not benefitted from the economic growth as well as a failure by the party to secure strong allies. The BJP slogan of "India Shining" and the "Feel Good Factor" boomeranged. The most plausible theory is that India's elections are still on the basis of local factors. The BJP did incredibly well in states where it had recently won or where there was anti-incumbency (I.E. Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Rajastan, Chattisgarh), but was badly beaten in states where it tied up with unpopular ruling parties (I.E. the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and TDP in Andhra Pradesh). Caste combinations were another factor in its loss. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu terrorist organization in India. ... The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP; World Hindu Council in Hindi), is a Hindu nationalist organisation in Bharat, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. ... India Shining is the name given to overall general feel of economic optimism in India after plentiful rains in 2003. ...

BJP election poster 2004 in Bengali.

Key Events: Download high resolution version (386x631, 43 KB)BJP election poster in Durgapur, West Bengal, ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. ... Download high resolution version (386x631, 43 KB)BJP election poster in Durgapur, West Bengal, ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. ... Bangla redirects here. ...

2004:

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati resigns as she is charged in a dated case related to hoisting the Indian tricolour in a minority area.
• Party President Venkaiah Naidu quits, paving the way for Lal Krishna Advani to take up the post.

2005:
Uma Bharti (born May 3, 1959, Madhya Pradesh, India) is an Indian politician. ... Categories: Indian politicians | Politics stubs ... Lal Krishna Advani (Sindhi: लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी, لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي) ( ਲਾਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਆਡਵਾਨੀ ), also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi: लाल किशेन्चन्द आडवाणी, لال ڪشن چند آڏواڻي) (b. ...

• The BJP derives political mileage out of the Congress party's use of governors to bring down its government in Goa, and preventing it from forming a government in Jharkhand and Bihar post-elections. The BJP eventually forms a government in Jharkhand and wins a second set of elections in Bihar with the JD(U).
• During a visit to Pakistan, party President LK Advani creates controversy he names the country's founder, Muhammed Ali Jinnah, "secular". The impending flack from his party leads to the premature end of his tenure at the end of the year.
• The party faces embarrassment in a sting operation where journalists offer money to MP's to raise questions in Parliament. Six of the ten expelled parliamentarians are from the party.

2006

• Rajnath Singh, a former Union Minister and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, takes over as BJP Party President.
• Former Chief Ministers Uma Bharati (Madhya Pradesh), Babulal Marandi (Jharkhand) and Madan Lal Khurana (Delhi) officially leave the BJP to float their own political fronts.
• The BJP aligns with the JD(S) to form a coalition in Karnataka, its first government in South India.
• An array of opposition parties engineer the collapse of the Arjun Munda government in Jharkhand and prop up an independent BJP rebel, Madhu Koda, as Chief Minister.
• Former Union Minister and urban face of the BJP, Pramod Mahajan, is shot dead by his own brother.

2007

• The BJP-SAD alliance regains power in Punjab, with the BJP winning almost all of its contested seats. In Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the BJP regains power from the Congress, and posts its fourth consecutive victory in Gujarat. However, the party faces a major setback in Uttar Pradesh, where its tally dips to its lowest in 20 years and its traditional vote banks are eroded. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance retain power in Mumbai's municipal corporation, while the BJP regains power in the Delhi municipal corporation.
• The Janata Dal (Secular) refuses to hand over the Chief Minister's post to the BJP as agreed upon, leading to the downfall of the alliance government in Karnataka. After the JD(S) decides to reverse its decision, B.S. Yediyurappa becomes the BJP's first southern CM. When the JD(S) once again goes back on its word after a week, Yediyurappa resigns.
• The party faces more tragedy as former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma dies in a road accident and former party President Jana Krishnamurthy passes away.
• The party approves of 33% reservation for women in all bodies of the party, including the National Executive, the first party in India to put forward such a measure.
• The party formally declares Leader of the Oppostion, Lal Krishna Advani, as BJP's Prime Ministerial Candidate.
• Narendra Modi successfully fights anti-incumbency to win a third term in office as the Chief-minister of Gujarat.
• According to Tamil Nadu state BJP president L. Ganesan , BJP would form an alliance with AIADMK before the 2009 Tamil Nadu polls.

2008
Narendra Dāmodardās Modī (Gujarātī: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is a regional political party in India. ...

• B. S. Yeddyurappa leads BJP in Karnataka to victory in the 2008 Karnataka state elections gaining just 3 seats short of a majority. It is a historical win for BJP as it was able to form a government in South India without a Coalition and the victory is considered as Gateway to South-India by Party President Rajnath Singh.

B. S. Yeddyurappa (Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yeddyurappa) (Kannada: ) is the former chief minister of Karnataka state of India. ...

Ideology

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The BJP is a religious conservative political organisation. It sees itself as rising to the defence of Indian culture, and Indian religious systems which include Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. To many Hindu nationalists, Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra, literally a Hindu nation. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Jain and Jaina redirect here. ... Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ), founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Northern India, is the fifth-largest religion in the world. ... Buddhism is a Dharmic religion and philosophy[1] with between 230 to 500 million adherents worldwide. ... ... Hindu Rāshtra (Hindi : हिन्दू राष्ट्र, approx. ...

According to BJP, this definition does not exclude Muslims or Christians. Hindu Rashtra is portrayed as cultural nationalism and Hinduism as the entire complex system of culture, history, faith and worship that have evolved in India over the past thousands of years. In the political language of Hindu nationalists, all the peoples of India, their cultures and heritage are "Hindu," which literally means "inhabitant of the land of the river Sindhu," the modern-day Indus. There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... ‹ The template below (Citations missing) is being considered for deletion. ...

While the draft manifestation of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (The organization that spawned the BJP) mentions the "Hindu Rashtra", the BJP has historically raised objections to this view. The party's chief objective is the "building up of India as a modern, progressive and enlightened nation" which draws inspiration from India's ancient Hindu culture and values. The key theorist of the party, K. Upadhyaya, authored the publication titled Integral humanism which laid down the foundations for this view. According to Upadhyaya, the so-called "monarch" and "state" are the dharma and the chiti (genius) of society. He asserted that the very source of meaning in Indian society is the concept of "national identity". The BJP stresses the importance of integrating the four ends of human life in accordance with Hindu scripture ie, kama (gratification), artha (wealth), dharma (faith), and moksha (spiritual release).^[11] Bharatiya Jana Sangh is the old name of Bharatiya Janata Party of India. ... Integral humanism is the political philosophy practised by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the former Bharatiya Jana Sangh of India. ... For other uses, see Dharma (disambiguation). ... Kama may refer to several things Kama, a Hindu god, the God of Love, son of Lakshmi. ... Artha is a Sanskrit term referring to the idea of material prosperity. ... For other uses, see Dharma (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Moksha (disambiguation). ...

The BJP has been accused of being a xenophobic and fascist organization by its opponents. Its supporters, on the other hand, argue that it is no more than a conservative, nationally-oriented party which does not wish to polarise the country on communal (religious) grounds. These accusations are largely regarded as a smear campaign against the BJP by left-wing pundits. In addition, accusations of "fascism" in BJP the Hindutva movement coming from the left wing parties and western academics such as Christophe Jaffrelot have been criticized by former professor of political philosophy^[12] and Times of India commentator Jyotirmaya Sharma as a "simplistic transference [that] has done great injustice to our knowledge of Hindu nationalist politics".^[13] Look up xenophobia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fascism is a term used to describe authoritarian nationalist political ideologies or mass movements that are concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence. ... For Veer Savarkars book, see Hindutva (book). ... The Common Man featured on a commemorative stamp released by the Indian Postal Service on the 150th Anniversary of the Times of India - 1988. ...

The life and work of the BJP is seen by many as strongly influenced by the Partition of India in 1947. The partition was traumatic legacy for most religious communities in India. Millions migrated to find safety in one of the two new states. During the chaos surrounding partition over half a million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, were killed in communal riots wake of horrendous carnage. The trauma of midnight evacuations of ancestral homes, and being forced to wade through murderous violence, chaos and confusion to despair and helplessness in a different land which became their home, has struck deep in the veins of Hindu nationalists. This article is under construction. ...

Another important factor in the ideological construction of the ideology of BJP is the ongoing territorial dispute over Jammu and Kashmir and the wars of 1947-48, 1962, 1965, and 1971 and recently the 1999 Kargil War. The BJP and its supporters feel India must remain vigilant against threats from Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, and elsewhere such as Bangladesh and even LTTE from Sri Lanka^{[citation needed][original research?]}. This article is about the area administered by India. ... Kargil was a part of Gilgit-Baltistan before 1947, but now is a town in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. ...

The BJP has often been accused of participation in religious violence and using religiously sensitive issues for political advantage. Many left wing journalists and observers feel that the BJP is a fascist organization with a clear anti-Muslim bias. However, the party has promoted a number of Muslims like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the late Sikandar Bakht and Dr. Najma Heptulla into prominent leadership position, and even had a prominent member of the Indian Jewish community, J. F. R. Jacob, among their ranks. In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms that refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially but not exclusively in the American sense of the word... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is a former Indian federal minister and Bharatiya Janta Party leader. ... Sikander Bakht Sikander Bakht (August 24, 1918 - February 23, 2004) was a politician from India. ... Dr. Najma Heptulla is an Indian politician and Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament in Indias Upper House (Rajya Sabha) from Rajasthan. ... // Indian Jews are a religious minority, living among Indias predominantly Hindu populace. ... Lieutenant General JFR Jacob (Jacob-Farj-Rafael Jacob) is a former governor of the Indian states of Punjab and Goa and Lieutenant General (Retired) of the Indian Army. ...

Main article: Ram Janmabhoomi

BJP has certain demands and actions that are explicitly controversial, and give rise to charges of fomenting communal tensions. The Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya is probably the most important of such issues. The site is believed by many Hindu's to be the birthplace of deity Ram. In 1528, the existing mandir was destroyed by a Mughal leader and replaced by the Babri Masjid. Demands for the replacement of the mosque with a temple existed since then, but the campaign became aggressive in the 1970s and 1980's. On December 6, 1992, emotional manipulation turned to violence as a parade of protestors burst upon the mosque and tore it down with pickaxes and shovels. The resulting country-wide outburst of anger, murder, looting and burning resulted in over 1,000 deaths. In the aftermath of the communal violence many sectors felt that the secular fabric of India was threatened. The VHP was banned and Advani and other leaders of the BJP were arrested. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are two BJP leaders on a CBI chargesheet for the destruction. Despite the arrests, the political power of BJP continued to grow rapidly. Ram Janmabhoomi (राम जन्मभूमि) refers to a tract of land in the North Indian city of Ayodhya which is claimed as the birthplace of Rama. ... Ram Janmabhoomi (राम जन्मभूमि) refers to a tract of land in the North Indian city of Ayodhya which is claimed as the birthplace of Rama. ... Ayodhya   (Hindi: अयोध्या, Urdu: ایودھیا IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. ... Look up RAM, Ram, ram in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Murli Manohar Joshi was the Union Human Resources Development minister of India in the NDA government. ... The CBI emblem. ...

BJP justifies the demolition of Babri Mosque on its website as follows:

Thus, the seeds of today's Hindu Jagriti (awakening) were created the very instance that an invader threatened the fabric of Hindu society which was religious tolerance. The vibrancy of Hindu society was noticeable at all times in that despite such barbarism from the Islamic hordes of central Asia and Turkey, Hindus never played with the same rules that Muslims did... The destruction of the structure at Ayodhya was the release of the history that Indians had not fully come to terms with. Thousands of years of anger and shame, so diligently bottled up by these same interests, was released when the first piece of the so-called Babri Masjid was torn down... The future of Bharat is set. Hindutva is here to stay... Hindutva will not mean any Hindu theocracy or theology. However, it will mean that the guiding principles of Bharat will come from two of the great teachings of the Vedas, the ancient Hindu and Indian scriptures. ”.^[14]

Ideological Rift Between RSS and BJP

From the days of the Ayodhya movement, the BJP has had to adopt more realistic goals to remain politically viable and build alliances with regional parties, many which have taken a cautious stand towards the BJP's pursuit of Hindutva. This has created a noticeable rift between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party in ideological terms.^[15] The RSS, from where a good deal of BJP leaders have migrated, has sought the party to take a more aggressive stand on ideological issues such as the building of the Ayodhya mandir and the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code. It prefers a swadeshi economic model of "Hindu socialism" which is highly focused on self-sustenance and communal projects to help the common man. Furthermore, the RSS is a strong proponent of mass governance, where party workers and ministers should come together to make decisions rather than having certain leaders with total power. For Veer Savarkars book, see Hindutva (book). ... The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu terrorist organization in India. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Swadeshi is the Indian term for the boycott of British goods. ...

The BJP, while in power at the Centre, did not pursue ideological tenets such as Ayodhya or the Civil Code, to ensure that its allies continued their support. Economic policy under BJP-led governments at the state and centre has been heavily focused on infrastructure building and pro-reform, market-oriented economic growth. The party has seen the rise of regional 'personality' politicians with their own followers, and infighting amongst the central leaders has been publicized by the media. ^[16]The aggressive courtship of celebrities, industrialists, sportspersons and other popular figures by the BJP has been a bone of contention with the RSS. Furthermore, the increase in incidence of corruption by party members has once again publicized the straying of the party from its parent organization. After the BJP lost at the centre, some party leaders believed the reluctance of the RSS and its associate organizations to support an ideologically different party had led to the loss. This eventually led to the emergence of Rajnath Singh, a leader very close to the RSS, to the party President's post in 2006. ^[17]Unfortunately, his tactics of re-involving the RSS at every level of election management was disastrous in his native Uttar Pradesh, while strategies based around personality politics and economic reform led to victories in four other states that same year. Following this turn of events, the RSS publicly announced it would further limit its involvement in the BJP's decision-making process. ^[18]

Organisation

The BJP is one of the few parties in India to have a popular-based governing structure, where workers and leaders at the local level have a great say in much of the decision-making. This has also been blamed for public spats between different factions of the party.

The topmost leader in the party is supposed to be the party President. Officially, the BJP constitution provides for a three-year term for the President. Recently, both Venkiah Naidu and LK Advani resigned ahead of schedule due to circumstances. Rajnath Singh has held this post since January 2006. Beyond this, there are several Vice-Presidents, General-Secretaries, Treasurers and Secretaries. The National Executive consists of an undetermined number of senior party leaders from across the nation who are the highest decision-making body in the party. At the state level, a similar structure is in place, with every state unit being led by the respective President, who also officially serves a three-year term. For other uses, see President (disambiguation). ... Lal Krishna Advani (born November 8, 1927/1929, Karachi) is an Indian politician. ...