The journey from Jan Sangh to BJP, how did resignation from Nehru cabinet change the politics of the country?:

News India Live, Digital Desk: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is celebrating its foundation day today. This party, which came into existence on 6 April 1980, is today established as the largest political organization in the world. But the foundation of BJP was laid at a time when the controversy over ‘dual membership’ had deepened in the country’s politics. When the leaders of Jan Sangh separated from the Janata Party and chose a new platform, it was named ‘Bharatiya Janata Party’ and Atal Bihari Vajpayee became its first charioteer.

Resignation from Nehru cabinet and birth of Jan Sangh

To find the roots of BJP, we will have to turn those pages of history when Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee used to be the Labor Minister in Jawahar Lal Nehru’s cabinet. Mukherjee, a staunch opponent of the full merger of Jammu and Kashmir, Article 370 and ‘two laws, two symbols, two heads’, resigned from the cabinet expressing disagreement with the policies of the Nehru government. This resignation cleared the way for a new political option in the country.

Meeting with RSS and launch of saffron flag

After resignation, Dr. Mukherjee met the then RSS Sarsanghchalak Shri Guruji. At that time, the Sangh also needed a political voice that could strongly present the issues of nationalism in Parliament. With this vision, ‘Bharatiya Jan Sangh’ was formally established on 21 October 1951 in Raghomal Secondary School, Delhi. This new party entered Indian politics with a saffron flag and ‘Deepak’ election symbol.

Showed strength in the first election itself, this is how the first opposition alliance was formed

Jana Sangh had a explosive start. In the first general elections of 1952, the party secured 3.06 percent votes and gained the status of a national party by winning three seats. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee himself reached Parliament after being elected as MP. The special thing is that Jan Sangh had understood the importance of alliance from its initial politics. Along with parties like Akali Dal and Hindu Mahasabha, ‘National Democratic Front’ was formed, which included 38 MPs. In this way Dr. Mukherjee unofficially emerged as the country’s first leader of opposition.

Separation from Janata Party and rise of BJP

After the Emergency in 1977, Jan Sangh merged with the Janata Party, but the ‘dual membership’ controversy forced it to separate again. A demand arose within the Janata Party that no member should be associated with the RSS simultaneously. Due to this ideological difference, the faction of Jan Sangh came out and formed BJP in 1980, whose first president was Atal Bihari Vajpayee and he held the command of the party till 1986.