<P> Although the newly formed BJP was technically distinct from the Jana Sangh , the bulk of its rank and file were identical to its predecessor , with Vajpayee being its first president . Historian Ramachandra Guha writes that the early 1980s were marked by a wave of violence between Hindus and Muslims . The BJP initially moderated the Hindu nationalist stance of its predecessor the Jana Sangh to gain a wider appeal , emphasising its links to the Janata Party and the ideology of Gandhian Socialism . This was unsuccessful , as it won only two Lok Sabha seats in the elections of 1984 . The assassination of Indira Gandhi a few months earlier resulted in a wave of support for the Congress which won a record tally of 403 seats , contributing to the low number for the BJP . </P>
who became the first president of the bharti janta party when it was formally established
Vajpayee