Journalism of Courage
L K Advani
BJP
DOB
08 Nov 1927
Age
98 years
birth palce
Karachi, Pakistan
profession
Politician
L K Advani biography
From joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to being regarded as the leader responsible for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP’s) ascension to the top of Indian polity, Lal Krishna Advani’s long political innings has seen multiple ups and downs.
On February 3, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Advani will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.
Born in Karachi on November 8, 1927, Advani joined the RSS in 1942 and re-located to Delhi from Sindh in 1947 during Partition. It was in early 1957 when he forayed into mainstream politics as he started assisting Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the other newly elected Jana Sangh MPs in their parliamentary work.
In April 1970, Rajya Sabha had a vacancy after the end of the term of Inder Kumar Gujral, who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from April 21, 1997, to March 19, 1998 . The Jana Sangh fielded Advani and he was elected owing to the party’s majority in the Council. It is at this point where he moved from the Delhi’s civic council to the Parliament.
During his long political innings, Advani occupied several important party and government posts, including Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and BJP president. After the dissolution of the Janata Party government, Advani, along with Vajpayee, had helped establish the BJP as the political arm of RSS.
The BJP’s turn towards supporting the VHP’s Ram Temple demand began when Advani replaced Vajpayee as party president in 1986, two years after its 1984 debacle when it was reduced to just two Lok Sabha seats. The BJP under Advani formally supported the Ram Temple demand at its Palampur session in June 1989, a move that made Jaswant Singh walk all the way to the railway station in disapproval.
In 1990, Advani announced a Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya to enlist support for a grand Ram temple. The yatra began on September 25, 1990, with Advani symbolically praying at the Somnath temple that had been rebuilt by the Centre just after Independence and shared the “memory” of past destruction by “medieval invaders”, something that fired up the demand for a Ram temple. Narendra Modi helped organise the Gujarat leg of the yatra.
The yatra garnered a massive public response, but also led to riots at some places. However, it catapulted Advani to the centre of national politics. The BJP decided that if Advani were to be arrested, it would withdraw its support to the VP Singh government. The arrest happened in Samastipur, Bihar, with the government of then CM Lalu Prasad arresting Advani on the night of October 22, 1990, and flying him to a guest house in Dumka, now in Jharkhand. The BJP withdrew support to the VP Singh government, which fell.
After spending months taking his Rath Yatra across the country, Advani finally entered Ayodhya to carry out kar seva that eventually, on December 6, 1992, led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Advani has been at the centre of an array of controversies. In 1991, arrest of militants in Kashmir had led to raids on Hawala brokers which brought to light a series of large-scale payments to national leaders, including Advani. However, the Supreme Court, later, disposed of the case owing to lack of evidence.
During his visit to Pakistan in 2005, Advani had stunned both the party and the Sangh by declaring Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a secular leader. Upon his return, he was forced to resign as the BJP president.
In 2014, he was at the centre of news as following the anointment of Narendra Modi as BJP campaign committee chairman for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he resigned from all party posts.
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L K Advani personal life
Spouse
Late Kamla Advani
Education
Graduate
L K ADVANI NEWS
PM Modi meets BJP veteran Advani to extend wishes on his birthday
November 08, 2025 9:07 pm
Earlier in the day, Modi took to social media to describe Advani as a "statesman with a towering vision".
L K Advani’s prison diaries: Constitutional morality, Indira Gandhi, and Thomas Jefferson
June 28, 2025 8:58 am
In one of his entries, the BJP leader targeted the PM for purportedly citing the third US president to make an argument for changing the Constitution, pointed out that Jefferson also believed in resistance, revolution
45 years ago, a Janata Party faction formed the Bharatiya Janata Party
April 06, 2025 10:30 am
BJP stalwart L K Advani writes in his autobiography, My Country My Life, “If the birth of the Janata government was a lesson in defending democracy, its demise was a harsh reminder about the propensity of power-hungry leaders to undo the gains of a popular democratic movement.”
L K Advani admitted to Apollo Hospital in Delhi
August 06, 2024 4:47 pm
Senior BJP leader L K Advani had been admitted to Apollo Hospital in July. He is stable and under observation, sources said.
L K Advani admitted to Apollo Hospital in Delhi, officials say stable
July 04, 2024 12:21 pm
A hospital spokesperson said the 96-year-old former deputy prime minister is stable and under observation at present.
BJP veteran L K Advani admitted to AIIMS Delhi
June 27, 2024 10:23 am
Hospital spokesperson says he is stable and under observation.
President Murmu confers Bharat Ratna on L K Advani
March 31, 2024 8:41 pm
Advani, a doyen of Indian politics, has served the nation with unwavering dedication and distinction for over seven decades, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
Sanjaya Baru writes: Why Narasimha Rao had to wait for 33 years after 1991 for the Bharat Ratna
February 10, 2024 6:04 pm
Rao's political leadership of India's economic turnaround and subsequent rise laid the foundations of a truly New and Rising India. Bharat Ratna to him now smacks of political opportunism
M Venkaiah Naidu writes: L K Advani, a leader who never craved power
February 04, 2024 9:02 pm
His mission was a new India, drawing strength from its past and rising to its potential. Bharat Ratna to him is a befitting recognition of his contribution
Sudheendra Kulkarni writes: Bharat Ratna L K Advani’s greatest achievement is that he helped end Congress’s monopoly over power in India
February 04, 2024 5:08 pm
His legacy rests on four enduring ideals: Defence of democracy, cultural nationalism, clean politics, and Indo-Pak reconciliation
L K ADVANI PHOTOS
L K Advani turns 90: BJP veteran celebrates birthday with visually-impaired children
November 08, 2017 2:14 pm
L K Advani served as deputy prime minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He is also a seven-term MP from Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Monsoon Session: What all happened in first 3 days
July 19, 2017 4:01 pm
BSP Supremo Mayawati filed her resignation on the same day as BJP leader M Wenkaiah Naidu filed his nomination papers as NDA's candidate for Vice-Presidential elections, here is look at the second day of Monsoon session.
Sonia Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, L K Advani pay homage to Lal Bahadur Shastri
October 02, 2015 6:17 pm
Sonia Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, L K Advani among other leaders remembered former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 111th birth anniversary who gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan', at his memorial at Vijay Ghat.
Gandhi Jayanti: Modi, Sonia, Pranab pay homage at Rajghat
October 02, 2015 5:08 pm
The nation today remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 146th birth anniversary with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and other leaders paying floral tributes to him at his memorial in New Delhi.
Modi, Jaitley, Advani pay tribute to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
July 23, 2015 6:33 pm
Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley, L K Advani and others pay tribute to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his birth anniversary.
Today in pics: Sonia, Advani join other MPs during floral tributes to Indira Gandhi
November 19, 2014 4:50 pm
Parliamentarians pay tribute to the former prime minister Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her 97th birth anniversary on Wednesday.
Narendra Modi breaks down during emotional speech at Central Hall
May 20, 2014 6:09 pm
Narendra Modi declared that the Lok Sabha election results represents a new hope for the common man.
Narendra Modi meets L K Advani
May 18, 2014 4:25 pm
Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi on Sunday called on party patriarch L K Advani after holding consultation with a number of party leaders.
Amit Shah, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh celebrate BJP's remarkable win
May 16, 2014 10:00 pm
BJP President Rajnath Singh gave the credit for the party's performance in Lok Sabha polls to Narendra Modi, saying he has the capability to lead the country.
Elections 2014: Big Winners
May 16, 2014 5:58 pm
Here's a look at big winners from Elections 2014 - BJP's Narendra Modi, L K Advani and Varun Gandhi have won.
L K ADVANI VIDEOS
Idea Exchange : Don't want to compare the personalities of Modi and Advani: Venkaiah Naidu
April 21, 2014 11:05 am
Who said there's just Narendra Modi?: Venkaiah Naidu on claims that BJP is person-centric
April 17, 2014 11:28 am
Speaking at the Idea Exchange programme of the Indian Express, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said, "When I joined politics, Congress members used to make fun of us and say, 'We have Jawaharlal Nehru, we have Indira Gandhi, whom do you have?'. We used to look here and there at that time because we could not immediately answer. So many people started saying Vajpayeeji, subsequently Advaniji, and now Narendra Modi"
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