NEW DELHI: The BJP, founded in 1980, secured recognition as a national political party after the 1984 Lok Sabha elections despite winning only two seats, according to 75 Years of Indian Democracy: The Indian Election Story in Facts & Figures (1950–2025), a book documenting India’s electoral history.
Released by the Deputy Chairman on July 16, the book, published by Indiastat Publications, traces the constitutional, institutional and political evolution of India’s electoral system since 1950, including elections, delimitation exercises and the changing status of political parties.
The book says the Indian National Congress is the only party to have retained national party status continuously since the first general elections in 1952. The Communist Party of India (CPI), which also had national party status from 1952, lost the recognition after the 2024 general elections.
The BJP’s predecessor, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, held national party status until the 1971 elections. The Jana Sangh later merged with the Janata Party, formed during the movement against the Emergency imposed in 1975. In 1980, the Jana Sangh faction led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani broke away to form the BJP, which regained national party status after meeting the Election Commission’s recognition criteria in subsequent parliamentary and assembly elections.
The book lists the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the National People’s Party (NPP) among the newest national parties, saying they received national recognition after the 2024 general elections.
A party can qualify for national party recognition by securing at least 6 per cent of valid votes in four or more states and winning at least four Lok Sabha seats. It can also qualify by winning at least 2 per cent of Lok Sabha seats, currently 11, with elected members from at least three states, or by being recognised as a state party in four or more states.
The book also records the history of presidential elections. Of the 16 presidential elections held so far, only one was uncontested. In 1977, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was declared elected unopposed after 36 of the 37 nominations received were rejected during scrutiny, leaving him as the only validly nominated candidate.
It also documents elections in states that ceased to exist after the reorganisation of states. Ajmer, Coorg, Saurashtra, Bhopal, Madhya Bharat, Hyderabad and Vindhya Pradesh held Assembly elections only during the first general elections in 1952. Bombay State held elections in 1952 and 1957, while Travancore-Cochin and PEPSU held elections in 1952 and 1954.
Madras held Assembly elections in 1952, 1957, 1962 and 1967, while Mysore went to the polls five times between 1952 and 1972.
The book’s chapter on delimitation traces changes in parliamentary representation. After the first delimitation exercise in 1952-53, Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of Lok Sabha constituencies with 86, followed by Bombay State with 66 and Bihar with 53. After the 1962-63 delimitation, Uttar Pradesh had 85 seats, while Bihar retained 53. Bihar’s tally increased to 54 after the 1972-73 delimitation.
The number of Lok Sabha constituencies rose from 494 in 1956 to 520 in 1967 and 542 in 1976. It reached the present strength of 543 after the delimitation exercise carried out between 2002 and 2008.