Lal Krishna Advani

L.​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ K. Advani, considered to be one of the major political figures in India, was brought into this world on November 8, 1927, in Karachi which is currently in Pakistan. A pivotal moment came in 1941, when, as a 14-year-old, he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and began his journey. Post the division of India, he went to Rajasthan as a pracharak. There he stayed in the villages that were affected by the epidemic, rebuilding the violent, broken communities of Alwar, Bharatpur, Kota, Bundi, and Jhalawar until 1952.

One year later, he became a member of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a political party founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and soon he was a key organizer. By 1957, he was conducting Parliamentary affairs in Delhi, and later on, he was the General Secretary and President of the Delhi unit. His ever-growing power brought him to the position of President of the Jana Sangh in 1973. Besides, L.K. Advani was also active in the field of political journalism, where he helped edit the Organiser, the RSS's weekly publication.

The Emergency led to the disintegration of the Jana Sangh and the birth of the Janata Party, of which Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, became the leading forces in opposition politics. Advani became one of the BJP’s founders in 1980 and from there on, he took the party to the journey of expansion as well as ideological consolidation. After being elected to the Rajya Sabha, he then represented Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in the Lok Sabha for several terms. During the time when he was at the Home Ministry (1998–2004) and being the Deputy Prime Minister (2002–2004) under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani was among the most influential people in India’s administration and policy-making as well as the governance of India.

Throughout these years, L. K. Advani has been identified with honesty, farsightedness, and the major role in making the BJP the second-largest national party. In 2024, the Indian Government honored him with the Bharat Ratna, a grand recognition of his lifelong contribution to Indian democracy. Up to 2025, L. K. Advani is still that familiar face of the elder statesman who not only he himself keeps to the right path but also heroes and heroines of politics come to him for guidance and ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌inspiration.