Union minister co-authors book capturing defining moments in BJP’s history

PTI, Dec 1, 2021, 10:11 AM IST

A book tracking the BJP’s rise from the Jana Sangh days and capturing the incidents regarded as defining moments in its history has been written by Union minister Bhupender Yadav.

The book, co-authored by Yadav along with economist Ila Pattnaik, introduces the readers to the ideological and organisational adhesive, which has not just kept the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) together but also fuelled its growth, sources said.

The book, titled ”The Rise of the BJP”, is expected to be released in the second week of January, they added. It is available for pre-order on e-commerce platforms. ”Many know the BJP only from 1980. Many others only from 2014. Yadav has written this book to introduce the readers to the BJP’s unique journey from 1950 to 2019 — from the Jana Sangh to the party in its current form,” a source close to the Union minister said.

The BJP was born in 1980, but its journey began with the Jana Sangh in 1950. As a successor of the Jana Sangh, how the saffron party pursued an idea of cultural nationalism imbued in Indian ethos, values and culture, and how this nationalism has since reflected in its governance and policy formulations have been elaborated in the book, the sources said.

The book also pieces together from a new perspective the people, policies and incidents that are the defining factors of the BJP’s story, they added.

”The Rise of the BJP” is an ideological and intellectual endeavour to introduce curious readers to how the saffron party was shaped by its organisation and its political and economic thinking, the sources said.

Yadav has been a key election manager of the BJP and has played a crucial role in managing polls in various states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

He was made a Union minister in the cabinet expansion-cum-reshuffle earlier this year and given the responsibilities of two ministries — environment and labour.

This will be Yadav’s second book. His first book was on Supreme Court judgments on forest conservation.