Bharatiya Janata Party

Abbreviation

BJP

Founded

1980

Founder(s)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L. K. Advani and others

Main base

All India

Election symbol

Lotus

Status

National party (ECI)

TN Assembly 2026

1 seat

Founded on 6 April 1980 by former members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh who had merged into the Janata Party. It grew from 2 Lok Sabha seats in 1984 to become the largest party, leading the National Democratic Alliance governments.

Milestones

• 1951 Predecessor Bharatiya Jana Sangh founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee
• 1980 Bharatiya Janata Party founded
• 1996 Largest party for the first time; Atal Bihari Vajpayee becomes Prime Minister
• 2014 Wins a majority on its own; Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister

Election record at a glance

• Contested 11 Lok Sabha general elections under this name, from 1984 to 2024.
• First won Lok Sabha seats in 1984 (2). Best result: 302 seats in 2019. Total seats won across all elections: 1809.
• Highest vote share: 37.36% in 2019.
• In 2024 it contested 441 seats in 33 states/UTs and won 240, with 36.56% of all votes polled.
• In Tamil Nadu (Madras State before 1969) it has won 8 Lok Sabha seats in total; best: 4 in 1999.