The Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, is one of India’s largest political parties and a major force in national politics. It was founded on 6 April 1980 and developed from the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which had been established in 1951. Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the BJP’s first president and later became Prime Minister of India.
The BJP is generally described as a right-wing and nationalist party. Its ideology is strongly influenced by Hindutva, which emphasizes India’s Hindu cultural and civilizational identity. The party also promotes national security, economic development, strong leadership, welfare delivery, infrastructure growth, digitalization, and cultural nationalism. It has close historical links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS.
The BJP first formed a national government under Vajpayee in 1996 and later led coalition governments from 1998 to 2004. It returned to power in 2014 under Narendra Modi, winning a clear parliamentary majority. The party repeated this success in 2019. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP remained the largest party but did not secure a majority on its own. It formed the government with allies under the National Democratic Alliance.
Major policies associated with BJP governments include the Goods and Services Tax, demonetization, Ayushman Bharat, Swachh Bharat, digital payment expansion, infrastructure development, the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status, and the Citizenship Amendment Act. The party has also strongly supported the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Supporters praise the BJP for strong leadership, welfare programs, infrastructure development, and raising India’s global profile. Critics accuse it of increasing religious polarization, weakening institutions, limiting dissent, and creating concerns among minority communities.
Overall, the BJP has reshaped Indian politics through nationalism, welfare policies, grassroots organization, and the leadership of Narendra Modi.
