The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was established in 1951 under the leadership of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Its can be traced back to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Hindu Mahasabha before Independence. The Jana Sangh was different from other parties in terms of ideology and programmes.
1. It emphasised the idea of one country, one culture and one nation and believed that the country could become modern, progressive and strong on the basis of Indian culture and traditions. The party called for a reunion of India and Pakistan in Akhand Bharat.
2. The party was in forefront of the agitation to replace English with Hindi as the official language of India and was also opposed to the granting of concessions to religious and cultural minorities.
3. The party was a consistent advocate of India developing nuclear weapons especially after China carried out its atomic tests in 1964.
In the 1950s Jana Sangh remained on the margins of the electoral politics and was able to secure only 3 seats in 1952 Lok Sabha elections and 4 seats in 1952 Lok Sabha elections. In the early years, its support came mainly from the urban areas in the Hindi speaking states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The notable leaders of the Jana Sangh were Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Balraj Madhok. The Bharatiya Janata Party traces its roots to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
