As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates its 44th Foundation Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party national president JP Nadda will visit BJP's founder and veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani at his residence on Thursday evening.
Advani, the longest-serving president of BJP, is credited for scripting the rise of BJP as a major political force in the country. BJP's graph started rising after Advani led the Ram temple movement in 1990s.
The BJP was officially created on April 6, 1980. However, its ideological origins can be traced back to 1951 when Shyama Prasad Mukherjee broke away from Nehru's Congress and formed the Bhartiya Jana Sangh (BJS).
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Nadda had earlier hoisted the party flag at BJP headquarters in Delhi.
"BJP is a political party but it is working for the welfare of the whole nation today. Under PM Modi's leadership, the party has made groundbreaking achievements. We got the inspiration from Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat under PM Modi's leadership," Nadda said in an address.
According to sources, the party has planned a week-long social harmony campaign from April 6 till the birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Ambedkar on April 14. Nadda has also written a letter to all state presidents and party leaders to participate in the events.
Addressing the BJP's 44th Foundation Day celebrations, PM Modi said the party was committed to taking tough steps to rid India of corruption, nepotism and law and order challenges as he castigated those with a "baadshahi" mindset for insulting the poor and backwards.
"Despite being the world's biggest political party, we don't have to be complacent. People have already started saying that no one can defeat the BJP in 2024. This is true but as BJP workers we have to win the heart of every citizen of the country," he said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also participated in a programme organised at the BJP's state headquarters in Lucknow.
"Heartfelt congratulations to all the nationalist workers on the 43rd Foundation Day of the BJP! Under the successful leadership of National President JP Nadda ji, we are all committed to the upliftment of every person standing in the last rung of society by making 'Seva Hi Sangathan' a reality," Adityanath tweeted.
The saffron party has come a long way since its inception, emerging as the largest political party in the world, having the maximum number of MPs, MLAs and councillors in the country.
BJP's biggest milestone was its massive win in the 2014 Lok Sabha election which coincided with the emergence of Narendra Modi on the national scene. In following years, the party expanded its footprint beyond Hindi heartland, especially in the Northeast region and in Karnataka in south.