BJP showcases booth power in U.P. on day 2 of foundation week

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) observed the second day of its 45th Foundation Day celebrations with booth-level events across Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Senior state leaders fanned out to various districts, participating in local programmes and recalling the party’s evolution and expansion.

State BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary joined the celebrations in Moradabad, while deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya attended an event in Aligarh.

Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak marked the day in Lucknow city, and state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh participated in a programme in Lucknow district.

At booth 299 in Chinhat, Dharampal Singh said the BJP had grown from grassroots struggles into a movement shaped by national devotion and public welfare. He stated that the party works across regions, languages, and communities, representing both national goals and regional aspirations.

Tracing BJP’s ideological origins, he referred to the formation of Bharatiya Jan Sangh on October 21, 1951, by Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee along with Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay and Prof Balraj Madhok. He said the party challenged colonial mindsets of the time, promoting the concept of integral humanism and social harmony.

Singh mentioned BJP’s early political journey, including the sacrifice of Mukherjee against Article 370 and the subsequent merger of Jan Sangh into the Janata Party following the Emergency. He said the BJP was formally established on April 6, 1980, under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has since grown on the strength of its workers.

He noted that the party now has a membership of over 18 crore and is in power or part of the ruling alliance in 21 states, calling it the largest political party in the world.