New Delhi, April 6 -- Union Minister and senior BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri celebrated the BJP Foundation Day by reflecting on the party's evolution and its contributions to India's growth and said that the ruling party will play a crucial role as the country rises further toward greater development in the coming years.

"India will rise further, and the BJP will have a crucial role in it," he said.

Speaking to ANI, the BJP leader reminisced about the early days of the party, recalling how it began with just two MPs in the Lok Sabha.

After the 1984-85 General Election, the BJP had just two members in the Lok Sabha while Congress had 426 members. It was also the time when Indira Gandhi was assassinated, and the Congress converted sympa...