Loksabha Election and Ram Mandir Movement: The issue of the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the cultural nationalism associated with it helped in connecting BJP cadres. During the 1989 elections, just before the polls, the Congress government led by Rajiv Gandhi had allowed the opening of the mosque for puja, but BJP raised the Ram Mandir issue through parliamentary resolutions or agreements during the elections, which had a significant impact. In the 1989 elections, BJP raised this issue and as a result, for the first time, BJP won on eight seats in united Bihar, five of which were from present-day Jharkhand.
Increased Votes after Advani’s Arrest: In 1990, Lal Krishna Advani had taken out a Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya. The then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had made plans to stop the Rath Yatra. However, seeing the situation, he did not take any action. When the Rath Yatra reached Samastipur in Bihar, Advani was arrested. After his arrest, RK Singh, who is currently a central minister in the BJP government, played a significant role.
Post-Arrest Elections and BJP’s Growth: After his arrest in Samastipur, Advani withdrew support from the central government, leading to the fall of the government. During that time, a car service incident also took place in Ayodhya. In the 1991 elections, when the Babri Masjid incident happened, BJP again increased its vote percentage. In the 1991 elections, BJP received 15.9% of the votes and won seats in various regions like Dhanbad, Khunti, Lohardaga, Ranchi, and Palamu.
BJP’s Electoral Journey: BJP first contested elections in 1984 but did not win any seats in united Bihar. The Ram Janmabhoomi movement formed the backdrop of BJP’s first election in 1989, where they won five seats in Jharkhand. In 2004, under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership, the party’s vote percentage increased to 33%, but they could only win one seat in Koderma. The UPA government came into power at the center during that time.
भाजपा के कैडरों को जोड़ने में मदद करने वाले अयोध्या मंदिर विवाद और सांस्कृतिक राष्ट्रवाद के मुद्दे ने भाजपा को 1989 चुनाव में कुछ सीटों पर जीत दिलाई। लालकृष्ण आडवाणी की गिरफ्तारी के बाद हुए चुनाव में भी भाजपा को अच्छा वोट प्राप्त हुआ। रथ यात्रा को रोकने की कोशिश में गिरफ्तार किए जाने पर भाजपा को और भी समर्थन मिला। 1991 चुनाव में भाजपा ने अपने वोट प्रतिशत में इजाफा किया और कई सीटें जीती। पहली बार कमल के सिंबल पर 1989 में चुनाव लड़ने के बाद भाजपा ने अपनी पहली बड़ी जीत दर्ज की।
