BJP Foundation Day: Party's rise to power from 2 MPs in 1984 to 282 in 2014

The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP is one of the two major political parties in India and its rise to power from just 2 MPs in 1984 to 282 in 2014 is a significant achievement in Indian politics There were several factors that contributed to the partys growth and eventual successFirstly the BJPs growth was based on a carefully crafted ideology of Hindu nationalism which appealed to a large section of the Indian population The partys promotion of Hindutva or Hindu cultural nationalism resonated with a significant portion of Indias majority Hindu populationSecondly the BJP was able to leverage the power of mass media to spread its message and reach out to new supporters The partys use of technology and social media particularly during the 2014 general election played a crucial role in mobilizing voters and creating a groundswell of supportThirdly the BJP was able to build strong grassroots networks and support structures across India The partys organizational strength and efficient mobilization of resources at the local level helped it win over new supporters and consolidate its position in key regionsBJP benefited from the decline of the Congress Party which had dominated Indian politics for decades The Congress Partys failure to respond effectively to the changing political landscape in India as well as its perceived corruption and lack of leadership created an opening for the BJP to emerge as a viable alternativeOverall the BJPs rise to power in India was the result of a combination of factors including its carefully crafted ideology effective use of media and technology strong grassroots networks and the decline of the Congress PartyThe Bharatiya Janata Partys BJP performance in the Lok Sabha elections from 1984 to 2014 is as follows In the 1984 Lok Sabha elections the BJP won only 2 seats out of 545 with a vote share of just 77437 In the 1989 Lok Sabha elections the BJPs performance improved significantly as it won 86 seats with a vote share of 113637 This was largely due to the partys role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement which mobilized Hindu voters In the 1991 Lok Sabha elections the BJPs performance further improved as it won 120 seats with a vote share of 201137 This was largely due to the partys successful campaign against corruption and the weak economic performance of the Congress governmentAlso read BJPrsquos foundation day A look at the history and achievements of the party In the 1996 Lok Sabha elections the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 161 seats with a vote share of 202937 However it was unable to form a stable government due to a lack of allies In the 1998 Lok Sabha elections the BJP won 182 seats with a vote share of 255937 It formed a stable government with the support of its allies and Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister of India In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections the BJP won 182 seats again with a vote share of 237537 It formed another stable government with the support of its allies In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections the BJPs performance declined significantly as it won only 138 seats with a vote share of 221637 This was largely due to a strong antiincumbency wave against the Vajpayee government and the partys perceived failure to deliver on its promises In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections the BJPs performance improved slightly as it won 116 seats with a vote share of 188037 However it was unable to form a government and the Congress returned to power In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections the BJP won a landslide victory winning 282 seats with a vote share of 313437 This was largely due to the partys effective use of technology and social media its carefully crafted ideology of Hindu nationalism and the decline of the Congress PartyThe BJPs performance in the Lok Sabha elections has been mixed with significant ups and downs over the years However its growth from just 2 seats in 1984 to a landslide victory in 2014 is a remarkable achievement that Indian politics witnessed