Bhartiya Janata Party

The BJP has a strong electoral support base in the Hindi belt especially among the traders and shopkeepers in the urban and the rural areas, among the traditional business community the Vaishyas and Jains, among the masses attuned to the traditional view of politics but also among the professionals and service personnel. It has also extended its influence to pockets in South India.

The BJP, at present, is one of the two major political parties in India, along with the Indian National Congress. In terms of representation in the national parliament and state assemblies, it is India’s largest political party in the year 2016. It is also the world's largest party in terms of primary membership. With the Ram Janmabhoomi movement it grew in strength and gained convincing victories in several state elections. BJP also performed better in the Lok Sabha elections and became the largest party in the Parliament in 1996 from a tally of just two seats in 1984. But due to its lack of majority in the Lower House, the government could not last for more than 13 days.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the BJP led coalition, got an opportunity to form the government again after 1998 general election under Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister for a year. In the next general election in the year 1999, the NDA government lasted for a full term in office, again under Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its Prime Minister. This was the first non-Congress government in India to do so. However, the NDA suffered an unexpected defeat in the 2004 Lok Sabha election and the BJP had to settle to play the important role of the main opposition party for the next ten years, before Narendra Modi, who led Gujarat as the longest serving Chief Minister, led it to a landslide victory in the 2014 general election. Narendra Modi continues to lead the NDA government as Prime Minister as of 2016 and the alliance has its governments in 15 states.