Lal Krishna Advani, Politician, National Leader
Politician, National Leader

Lal Krishna Advani

Born 8 November 1927 · Pakistan

Co-founded the Bharatiya Janata Party and served as India's longest-serving Home Minister from 1998 to 2004.

Lal Krishna Advani is an Indian politician and statesman who served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. He is one of the co-founders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary organisation. He was the longest serving Minister of Home Affairs serving for 6 years and 64 days from 1998 to 2004, until his protége Amit Shah overtook him in 2025. He is also the longest serving Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as well as the longest serving President of the BJP, the current ruling party of India.

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A detail that
surprised us

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In 2024, Lal Krishna Advani was honored with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, nearly eight decades after beginning his political activism in 1941.

The Story

1
In 1941, at just 14, Lal Krishna Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Karachi, marking his entry into the world of political activism amid the turmoil of British India’s last years.
2
🌟 After migrating to Bombay during the 1947 Partition, Advani completed his education and by 1951 had joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, beginning a political career that would span over seven decades.
3In 1970, he entered the Rajya Sabha for the first time, serving four terms until 1989 and rising to become president of the Jan Sangh in 1973, a role pivotal before the creation of BJP.
4🏛️ In 1980, alongside Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani co-founded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which went from two seats in 1984 to nearly 200 in 1999 under his leadership, reshaping India’s political landscape.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Bharat Ratna

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Advani joined the RSS at age 14 in 1941 in Karachi, a city that would become part of Pakistan after Partition, forcing him to migrate to India in 1947 and restart his political life in Bombay.

🖼️

Through the Years

2 photographs from the archives
Lal Krishna Advani presenting the Golden Peacock National Training Award in 2000
Lal Krishna Advani presenting the Golden Peacock National Training Award in 2000
2000
Prime Minister greeting Lal Krishna Advani on his birthday in New Delhi (2022)

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Karachi
Lal Krishna Advani was born in Karachi, British India, into a Sindhi Hindu Lohana family.
1927
⚡
Career
Joined RSS at age 14
Advani began his political activism by joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Karachi.
1941
🌟
Other
Migrated to India
During Partition, Advani moved from Karachi to Bombay, where he resumed his education and political work.
1947
⚡
Career
Joined Bharatiya Jana Sangh
Advani became a member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the precursor to the BJP.
1951
⚡
Career
Co-founded BJP
Along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani co-founded the Bharatiya Janata Party.
1980
🌟
Other
Babri Masjid demolished
The demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya led to accusations against Advani, who was later acquitted.
1992
⚡
Career
Became Home Minister
Advani took charge as India’s Home Minister, serving until 2004.
1998
⚡
Career
Appointed Deputy Prime Minister
Advani served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India until 2004.
2002
🏅
Award
Awarded Bharat Ratna
Advani was conferred with India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna.
2024
More moments to come...
+ Add a moment

🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Between 1998 and 2004, Advani served as India's Home Minister for 6 years and 64 days, a record tenure that stood until his protégé Amit Shah surpassed it in 2025.

02 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Advani was acquitted in 2020 of charges related to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition due to lack of evidence, a case that had shadowed his political career for nearly three decades.

03 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

He was the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in three separate general elections (1989, 1991, 2009), highlighting his long-standing centrality to the party’s national ambitions.

“

"We will build a Ram temple at Ayodhya. India will be Ram’s kingdom once more."

— Lal Krishna Advani

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
India Today Conclave: Session With L.K Advani
More from this archive
India Today Conclave: Session With L.K Advani
01
India Today Conclave: Session With L.K Advani
24 Hours with Lal Krishna Advani (Aired: January 1998)
02
24 Hours with Lal Krishna Advani (Aired: January 1998)
LK Advani's political story is very different from that of PV Narasimha Rao or Zail Singh | ep 135
03
LK Advani's political story is very different from that of PV Narasimha Rao or Zail Singh | ep 135
Walk The Talk: L K Advani (Aired: April 2003)
04
Walk The Talk: L K Advani (Aired: April 2003)
'Emergency': Former Deputy PM And BJP Veteran LK Advani Speaks
05
'Emergency': Former Deputy PM And BJP Veteran LK Advani Speaks
Exclusive Interview with L.K. Advani
06
Exclusive Interview with L.K. Advani
What LK Advani Said On Babri Mosque Demolition (Aired: December 2000)
07
What LK Advani Said On Babri Mosque Demolition (Aired: December 2000)
24 Hours with Lal Krishna Advani (Aired: January 1998)
08
24 Hours with Lal Krishna Advani (Aired: January 1998)
LK Advani on Jammu-Kashmir and BJP party stand to solve the problem, Congress promoted Bhindranwale
09
LK Advani on Jammu-Kashmir and BJP party stand to solve the problem, Congress promoted Bhindranwale
Lal Krishna Advani addresses media ahead of Lok Sabha election results
10
Lal Krishna Advani addresses media ahead of Lok Sabha election results

🌱 What changed because of them

Advani’s leadership transformed the BJP from a marginal party into India’s dominant political force, shaping policies around nationalism and internal security. His role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement ignited debates on secularism and civil law, influencing Indian politics into the 21st century. Institutions like the BJP and the Home Ministry were permanently altered by his tenure, and his political strategies set the stage for future leaders like Amit Shah and Narendra Modi.

💬 Social Buzz

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