The Bharatiya Jana Sangh (abbreviated BJS, and often known simply as the Jan Sangh) existed from 1951 to 1980, whereupon it was succeeded by the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of India's largest political parties. Its name means Indian People's Alliance in Hindi.

The BJS was started by Syama Prasad Mookerjee on 21 October 1951 at Delhi in consultation with the RSS. The symbol of the party in Indian elections was an oil-lamp. In 1952 general elections to the Parliament of India, Bharatiya Jana Sangh had won three seats; Mookerjee being one of the winning candidates. The BJS would often link up on issues and debates with the right-wing Swatantra Party of Chakravarti Rajgopalachari. Its strongest parliamentary performance came in the 1967 elections, when the Congress majority was its thinnest-ever.

See also: Hindu nationalism, Hindutva

The BJS was ideologically close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and derived most of its political activist base and candidates from the RSS ranks. The BJS was considered the political arm of Hindu Nationalism, with the RSS being the central base. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, formed in 1964 would become the religious arm.

Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee (or Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Bengali: শ্যামাপ্রসাদ মুখোপাধ্যায় Shêmproshad Mukhopaddhae) (July 6, 1901 – June 23, 1953) was a minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet as a Minister for Industry and Supply.

Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, after the differences with Pandit Nehru.

Mookerjee was born on July 6, 1901 in Kolkata. His father was Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, a well-respected advocate in Bengal, who became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, and his mother was Lady Jogmaya Devi Mookerjee.

Mookerjee obtained his degrees from the University of Calcutta. He graduated in English securing the first position in first class in 1921 and also did MA in 1923 and BL in 1924. He became a fellow of the Senate in 1923. He enrolled as an advocate in Calcutta High Court in 1924 after his father had died shortly after losing to Syed Hasan Imam at Patna high court. Subsequently he left for England in 1926 to study at Lincoln's Inn and became a barrister in 1927. At the age of 33, he became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta (1934), and held the office till 1938.

Narendra Damodardas Modi (Gujarati: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી; born 17 September 1950) is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat. Born in a middle class family in Vadnagar, he was the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and his wife Heeraben. He has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood also having interest in politics since adolescence. He holds a master's degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.

He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections. His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously. He was elected again for a third term on 23 December 2007 in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".

Rajnath Singh (born July 10, 1951) is a prominent Indian politician who has served the country in many capacities. Beginning his career as a physics lecturer, Singh used his long-term connections with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in order to become involved with the Janata Party. That involvement led him to numerous official positions within his home state of Uttar Pradesh. Among his roles have been a period as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, as a Cabinet Minister in the National Democratic Alliance regime and as National President of one the country's major political organisations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was previously president of the BJP youth wing and the BJP's unit in his home state.

Rajnath Singh was born in the small village of Bhabhaura in the Chandauli district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in a Rajput family . His father was Ram Badan Singh and his mother was Gujarati Devi. He was born into a simple farmer's family in the region and went on to secure a masters degree in physics, acquiring first division results from the Gorakhpur University. Rajnath Singh had been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 1964, at the age of 13 and remained connected with the organization even when he took up his job of a physics lecturer in Mirzapur. In 1974, he was appointed secretary for the Mirzapur unit of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, a Hindutva based political party.

Vijay Goel is a former union minister of state in the government of India from 2001 to 2004. He is a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was a member of the 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha from Chandni Chowk Delhi. He is a former President of the Delhi University Students Union.

VIJAY GOEL [HON. D.LIT.] M.COM. LLB - ALL INDIA GENERAL SECRETARY, BHARTIYA JANATA PARTY

FORMER UNION MINISTER OF STATE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA - PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE - PLANNING COMMISSION - PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS - MINISTRY OF LABOUR - MINISTRY OF YOUTH & SPORTS AFFAIRS - MINISTRY OF STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

Vijay Goel is a multifaceted and dynamic reformer, a vociferous social worker, an activist with conviction, and a crusader of causes close to his heart, a product of the JP Movement was jailed during Emergency, a home grown NSS, NCC, ABVP & RSS worker, a politician who famous for his contribution in getting the “Lottery-Banned” and thereby saving lacs of families from ruin.

“VG” is “Very Good”, is what Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee affectionately said, when he handpicked Vijay Goel and entrusted him with the position of Union Minister of State responsible for the Prime Minister’s Office and the Planning Commission.