Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP

Tian Mi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.history.20251301.15

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Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP

Tian Mi^*

Published in History Research (Volume 13, Issue 1)

Received: 23 April 2025 Accepted: 8 May 2025 Published: 16 June 2025

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Abstract

This study takes the political transformation of India during the 1980s as its starting point, a period that marked the shift from the long-standing dominance of the Indian National Congress to the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It aims to explore how India gradually transitioned from a constitutionally defined secular state to a political order increasingly oriented toward Hinduism. Using populism as the core theoretical framework, this paper analyzes how the BJP strategically constructed a binary opposition between the “political elite,” represented by the Congress Party, and the “common people,” and how it employed religious symbols, sacred imagery, and Hindu cultural narratives to mobilize mass support. By linking religious identity with political mobilization, the BJP successfully expanded its social base, attracting upper-caste groups, segments of the middle class, and sections of the female electorate. This paper argues that the BJP's rise was not merely a political realignment, but a fundamental shift that profoundly transformed the ideological landscape of Indian politics. The party’s populist mobilization, rooted in Hindu identity, laid the foundation for the politicization of religion and accelerated the broader rightward shift in India’s political order. Through this analysis, the study re-examines the BJP’s path to power and its profound impact on the trajectory of contemporary Indian politics, uncovering the historical roots of India’s current rightward turn.

Published in	History Research (Volume 13, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.history.20251301.15
Page(s)	26-34
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

BJP, Hinduism, Populism, Political Mobilization

References

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Mi, T. (2025). Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP. History Research, 13(1), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15

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ACS Style

Mi, T. Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP. Hist. Res. 2025, 13(1), 26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20251301.15

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Mi T. Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP. Hist Res. 2025;13(1):26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20251301.15

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@article{10.11648/j.history.20251301.15,
  author = {Tian Mi},
  title = {Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP
},
  journal = {History Research},
  volume = {13},
  number = {1},
  pages = {26-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.history.20251301.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.history.20251301.15},
  abstract = {This study takes the political transformation of India during the 1980s as its starting point, a period that marked the shift from the long-standing dominance of the Indian National Congress to the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It aims to explore how India gradually transitioned from a constitutionally defined secular state to a political order increasingly oriented toward Hinduism. Using populism as the core theoretical framework, this paper analyzes how the BJP strategically constructed a binary opposition between the “political elite,” represented by the Congress Party, and the “common people,” and how it employed religious symbols, sacred imagery, and Hindu cultural narratives to mobilize mass support. By linking religious identity with political mobilization, the BJP successfully expanded its social base, attracting upper-caste groups, segments of the middle class, and sections of the female electorate. This paper argues that the BJP's rise was not merely a political realignment, but a fundamental shift that profoundly transformed the ideological landscape of Indian politics. The party’s populist mobilization, rooted in Hindu identity, laid the foundation for the politicization of religion and accelerated the broader rightward shift in India’s political order. Through this analysis, the study re-examines the BJP’s path to power and its profound impact on the trajectory of contemporary Indian politics, uncovering the historical roots of India’s current rightward turn.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP

AU  - Tian Mi
Y1  - 2025/06/16
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.history.20251301.15
T2  - History Research
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UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15
AB  - This study takes the political transformation of India during the 1980s as its starting point, a period that marked the shift from the long-standing dominance of the Indian National Congress to the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It aims to explore how India gradually transitioned from a constitutionally defined secular state to a political order increasingly oriented toward Hinduism. Using populism as the core theoretical framework, this paper analyzes how the BJP strategically constructed a binary opposition between the “political elite,” represented by the Congress Party, and the “common people,” and how it employed religious symbols, sacred imagery, and Hindu cultural narratives to mobilize mass support. By linking religious identity with political mobilization, the BJP successfully expanded its social base, attracting upper-caste groups, segments of the middle class, and sections of the female electorate. This paper argues that the BJP's rise was not merely a political realignment, but a fundamental shift that profoundly transformed the ideological landscape of Indian politics. The party’s populist mobilization, rooted in Hindu identity, laid the foundation for the politicization of religion and accelerated the broader rightward shift in India’s political order. Through this analysis, the study re-examines the BJP’s path to power and its profound impact on the trajectory of contemporary Indian politics, uncovering the historical roots of India’s current rightward turn.

VL  - 13
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Tian Mi

School of History, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0007-7333-4270

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APA Style

Mi, T. (2025). Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP. History Research, 13(1), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15

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ACS Style

Mi, T. Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP. Hist. Res. 2025, 13(1), 26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20251301.15

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AMA Style

Mi T. Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP. Hist Res. 2025;13(1):26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20251301.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.history.20251301.15,
  author = {Tian Mi},
  title = {Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP
},
  journal = {History Research},
  volume = {13},
  number = {1},
  pages = {26-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.history.20251301.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.history.20251301.15},
  abstract = {This study takes the political transformation of India during the 1980s as its starting point, a period that marked the shift from the long-standing dominance of the Indian National Congress to the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It aims to explore how India gradually transitioned from a constitutionally defined secular state to a political order increasingly oriented toward Hinduism. Using populism as the core theoretical framework, this paper analyzes how the BJP strategically constructed a binary opposition between the “political elite,” represented by the Congress Party, and the “common people,” and how it employed religious symbols, sacred imagery, and Hindu cultural narratives to mobilize mass support. By linking religious identity with political mobilization, the BJP successfully expanded its social base, attracting upper-caste groups, segments of the middle class, and sections of the female electorate. This paper argues that the BJP's rise was not merely a political realignment, but a fundamental shift that profoundly transformed the ideological landscape of Indian politics. The party’s populist mobilization, rooted in Hindu identity, laid the foundation for the politicization of religion and accelerated the broader rightward shift in India’s political order. Through this analysis, the study re-examines the BJP’s path to power and its profound impact on the trajectory of contemporary Indian politics, uncovering the historical roots of India’s current rightward turn.
},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Hindu Populism and the Rise of the BJP

AU  - Tian Mi
Y1  - 2025/06/16
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.history.20251301.15
T2  - History Research
JF  - History Research
JO  - History Research
SP  - 26
EP  - 34
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2376-6719
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20251301.15
AB  - This study takes the political transformation of India during the 1980s as its starting point, a period that marked the shift from the long-standing dominance of the Indian National Congress to the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It aims to explore how India gradually transitioned from a constitutionally defined secular state to a political order increasingly oriented toward Hinduism. Using populism as the core theoretical framework, this paper analyzes how the BJP strategically constructed a binary opposition between the “political elite,” represented by the Congress Party, and the “common people,” and how it employed religious symbols, sacred imagery, and Hindu cultural narratives to mobilize mass support. By linking religious identity with political mobilization, the BJP successfully expanded its social base, attracting upper-caste groups, segments of the middle class, and sections of the female electorate. This paper argues that the BJP's rise was not merely a political realignment, but a fundamental shift that profoundly transformed the ideological landscape of Indian politics. The party’s populist mobilization, rooted in Hindu identity, laid the foundation for the politicization of religion and accelerated the broader rightward shift in India’s political order. Through this analysis, the study re-examines the BJP’s path to power and its profound impact on the trajectory of contemporary Indian politics, uncovering the historical roots of India’s current rightward turn.

VL  - 13
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download