Bharatiya Janata Party

Introduction

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is one of India's two major national political parties and has played a transformative role in Indian politics, especially in the state of Bihar. It has grown from a marginal force in the 1980s to a dominant party nationally and a key power player in Bihar's political landscape.

Formation

BJP was formally founded on April 6, 1980, following the split from the Janata Party. The reason for the split was ideological: the Janata Party opposed the dual membership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Leaders with RSS backgrounds, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, and Murli Manohar Joshi, formed the BJP as a successor to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was originally founded in 1951 by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

Ideology and Political Base

BJP's ideology is based on Hindutva, nationalism, and good governance. In Bihar, the BJP gradually built a strong support base among the upper castes, urban middle classes, business communities, and youth. Over time, it expanded its influence among OBCs and EBCs as well.

Prominent Leaders

• Shyama Prasad Mukherjee - Founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Former Prime Minister of India, a key moderate face
• Lal Krishna Advani - Architect of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement
• Narendra Modi - Current Prime Minister, leader of BJP's resurgence post-2014
• Amit Shah - Strategist and key election planner
• Sushil Kumar Modi - Key BJP face in Bihar, former Deputy CM
• Nityanand Rai, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Giriraj Singh - Prominent Bihar-based leaders

BJP in the Era of Jungle Raj and Booth Capturing

During the 1990s and early 2000s, when RJD was in power in Bihar, the state was often labeled as suffering from "Jungle Raj" due to lawlessness, criminal-politician nexus, and rampant booth capturing. The BJP, then in opposition, campaigned strongly against these practices, aligning with Nitish Kumar's Samata Party and later JD(U) to promise clean governance and law & order reforms.

Collaboration with JD(U)

• 1996-2013: BJP and JD(U) formed a long-standing alliance in Bihar under the NDA umbrella. This alliance defeated RJD's dominance and formed the government in 2005, with Nitish Kumar as CM and BJP as a coalition partner.
• 2013-2017: The alliance broke when Nitish opposed Narendra Modi's PM candidacy.
• 2017-2022: Nitish returned to NDA; BJP rejoined the state government.
• 2022 onwards: JD(U) left NDA again and allied with RJD, while BJP became the main opposition party in Bihar.

BJP's Comeback in Bihar

• 2005: Marked the beginning of BJP's rise in state governance as a partner in power.
• 2010: The NDA (JD(U)+BJP) won a landslide majority.
• 2014: BJP won majority of Lok Sabha seats from Bihar, riding on the Modi wave.
• 2020: BJP emerged as the largest party within the NDA in the Bihar Assembly, even though JD(U)'s seat count fell. This shifted the balance of power towards BJP within the alliance.

Major Achievements of BJP (National and State Level)

• National Leadership: Stable government under Narendra Modi since 2014.
• Welfare Schemes: Ujjwala Yojana (free LPG), PM Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Kisan Samman Nidhi.
• Infrastructure: Boost in highways, electrification, digital access in rural Bihar.
• Abolition of Article 370: Symbolic ideological achievement.
• Ram Mandir Construction: Fulfilment of core ideological agenda.
• In Bihar: Partnered in law-and-order improvements, economic reforms, and reservation for women and EBCs in local bodies.

Conclusion

The BJP has transformed from a marginal player in Bihar to a dominant political force, largely due to its alliance strategy, ideological clarity, and electoral management. With a focus on nationalism, development, and governance, it continues to reshape the political dynamics of Bihar and India as a whole.