Describe the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Origin and History.

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Bhartiya Jan Sangh was founded by Dr. Shyama. Prasad Mukherjee. The organization became popular in North India, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, U.P. and Madhya Pradesh. Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is one of the important political force both at the center as well as in the states and in Delhi it captured power.

The party is urban based, though it is trying to spread its hold in the rural areas as well. It has considerable hold over educated middle class and large section of government servants. It is a cadre based party with hierarchical set up that the lowest unit of the party functions in a small area or locality. At the state level there is State Council and State Executive, whereas at the national level there is also National Council and National Executive.

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as it now stands, believes in secularism and democracy. It wants that democracy should be preserved and for them the Communists should be opposed because they are opposed to democracy and preach violence.

According to the party for preserving nation and independence every thing should be sacrificed. The party wants that Jammu and Kashmir
should be merged with rest of India as quickly as possible. It stands for eradication of corruption and cheap and speedy justice. It also believes in the principle of independence of judiciary.

It wants to have economic democracy in which there should be equal opportunities for all and nationalization of all basic and defence industries. It stands for nationalization of mining, tea plantation and such other industries which are at present in the hands of foreigner’s. It proposes to abolish sales tax and desires that every Indian citizen should have some minimum living standard.

It also wants to give compulsory military training to all young Men. It is opposed to the political appeasements to any community. It is not in favor of capitalism and favors economic democracy it is in favor of immediate land reforms and eradication of poverty.

In the foreign affairs it wants that India should first of all look after its own interests and that she should have cordial relations with the neighboring countries. It wants that no Indian should be allowed to have extra territorial loyalties and that every one should have loyalties to the nation above everything else.

Every problem should be solved by peaceful means and methods. The party does not tolerate indiscipline and wants it to be maintained at every level, though after gaining power it failed to maintain discipline.

In 1989 Lok Sabha election manifesto, the party made it clear that root of all corruption lies in political corruption. It promised of cleansing of public life by breaking unholy nexus between corrupt bureaucrats, corrupt businessmen and corrupt politicians. It promised to strengthen LokPal and Lokayukta institutions. It also favors restructuring of tax system.

It favors economically and administratively viable small state. It demanded statehood for Delhi. For setting inter-state disputes it wants to set up inter-state councils. It was in favor of limit on the number of Ministers in the Council of Ministers, deletion of article 370. It is in favor of uniform civil code and setting up of Human Right Commission.

The party wants to have compulsory voting for all citizens and public funding of elections. It also wants to have optimum defence preparedness and provide adequate protection to hand-loom sector.

The party performance in 1989 Lok Sabha elections was remarkable whereas in the eighth Lok Sabha it had only two seats, in the ninth Lok Sabha it won as many as 88 seats. In 1998 it formed government with the support of other parties named it N.D.A. under the Prime Minister-ship of Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1998 to 2004, but lost 2004 election and Congress gained power with the support of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharat Pawar and D.M.K. etc. and outside support of Communists.

As such congress is ruling as U.P.A. It has expelled Uma Bharti and Madanlal Khurana ect. but won election in Bihar etc. And again party come in power in 2014 in leadership of Narendra Modi.