L. K. Advani
Former Deputy Prime Minister of India and co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party
- Age
- 98 yrs
- Birthday in 12 days
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- Autobiography
- Honours
- 2
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Lal Krishna Advani is a veteran BJP leader who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Three times party president, he is credited with turning the BJP into a national force. He received the Bharat Ratna in 2024.
Biography
Early life
Advani was born in Karachi and educated at St Patrick’s High School there. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a teenager in 1941 and moved to India after partition, working for the Sangh in Rajasthan before joining the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. He also worked as a journalist with the weekly Organiser.
Building the BJP
Advani was Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Janata government of 1977–79 and a co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980. As party president in the late 1980s and 1990s he led the BJP’s rise, and his 1990 Ram Rath Yatra in support of a temple at Ayodhya made the issue central to national politics.
Under his leadership the party grew from two Lok Sabha seats in 1984 to the largest party in Parliament in 1996.
In government
In the Vajpayee government Advani served as Home Minister from 1998 and as Deputy Prime Minister from 2002 to 2004. He was the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate in 2009 and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He represented Gandhinagar in Gujarat for several terms until 2019.
His autobiography, My Country My Life, was published in 2008. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024.
Controversies
The Ram Rath Yatra and the movement for a temple at Ayodhya culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992, followed by communal violence. Advani was among those charged in the conspiracy case; in 2020 a special CBI court acquitted all the accused. His remarks praising Muhammad Ali Jinnah during a 2005 visit to Pakistan led to his resignation as BJP president.
Later years
As Narendra Modi rose to lead the BJP from 2013, Advani was moved into the party’s advisory Margdarshak Mandal and did not contest the 2019 election. He continued to be honoured as one of the party’s founders, receiving the Bharat Ratna at his home in 2024.
Timeline
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1927
Born in Karachi, Sind (now Pakistan)
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1941
Joins the RSS
As a 14-year-old in Karachi.
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1970
Elected to the Rajya Sabha
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1977
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
In the Janata Party government.
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1980
Co-founds the BJP
With Atal Bihari Vajpayee and others.
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1986
BJP president
First of three terms.
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1990
Ram Rath Yatra
From Somnath towards Ayodhya.
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1992
Babri Masjid demolished
He is later acquitted in the conspiracy case (2020).
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1998
Union Home Minister
In the Vajpayee government.
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2002
Deputy Prime Minister
Serves until 2004.
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2005
Resigns as BJP president after remarks on Jinnah
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2009
Prime ministerial candidate
NDA loses the general election.
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2014
Joins the BJP Margdarshak Mandal
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2024
Bharat Ratna
India’s highest civilian honour.
Notable works
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2008
My Country My Life Autobiography
Memoir of his life and political career.
Awards and honours
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Padma Vibhushan
2015 · India’s second-highest civilian honour.
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Bharat Ratna
2024 · India’s highest civilian honour.
Did you know?
-
1
He is one of the longest-serving members in the history of the Lok Sabha.
-
2
He was born in Karachi, now in Pakistan.
-
3
He received the Bharat Ratna at his home in 2024.
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4
He was nicknamed the BJP’s “Iron Man”.
Gallery
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is L. K. Advani?
Lal Krishna Advani is a veteran BJP leader who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Three times party president, he is credited with turning the BJP into a national force. He received the Bharat Ratna in 2024.
How old is L. K. Advani?
L. K. Advani is 98 years old, born on 8 November 1927 in Karachi, Sind (now Pakistan).
Where is L. K. Advani from?
L. K. Advani was born in Karachi, Sind (now Pakistan).
What is L. K. Advani known for?
L. K. Advani is best known for Building the BJP into a national party; the 1990 Ram Rath Yatra.
What awards has L. K. Advani received?
Notable honours include Padma Vibhushan (2015), Bharat Ratna (2024).
Who is L. K. Advani married to?
Spouse: Kamla Advani (m. 1965; died 2016).
References
- L. K. Advani — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- L. K. Advani — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- L. K. Advani — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- L. K. Advani — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- L. K. Advani — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Official website. www.lkadvani.in. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- L. K. Advani (Q468324) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
- First published 26 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“L. K. Advani.” TrackFame, last updated 27 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/l-k-advani
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