Lal Krishna Advani at 100: How the BJP Pioneer Rebuilt Indian Politics

NEW DELHI — As veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani turns 99 and enters his hundredth year, Indian politics reflects on a career that fundamentally shifted the nation's political trajectory. Born in Karachi on November 8, 1927, Advani’s journey from a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker displaced by Partition to the master strategist of Hindutva forms the foundation of modern Indian democracy.

Marking his milestone birthday—which coincides with Diwali—the BJP has organised special prayers and a commemorative exhibition at its New Delhi national headquarters, honoring a leader whose organizational blueprint built the party into a dominant political force.

From Karachi to the Margins of Power: The Early Years

Displaced by the brutal realities of the 1947 Partition, Advani relocated to India and dedicated his youth to grassroots organisation through the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the precursor to the BJP. Quiet, analytical, and disciplined, he stood in contrast to the traditional public speakers of his era.

While Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the charismatic, moderate public face of the Jan Sangh and later the BJP, Advani operated as the organizational engine. He spent decades building the party's ideological framework and cadre network, laying the groundwork for a political movement that initially held only a fringe presence in Parliament.

The 1990 Rath Yatra: The Turning Point

Advani’s definitive impact came in September 1990, when he launched the historic Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya. Demanding the construction of a temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram, the 10,000-kilometre journey mobilized Hindu nationalist support on a scale unseen since independence.

The campaign reshaped national discourse and dismantled the long-standing dominance of the Congress party by creating a unified Hindutva electoral base. Though it sparked intense political debate and led to his arrest in Bihar, the Yatra propelled the BJP into the center of national politics as a primary governing alternative.

Governance, Home Ministry, and Deputy Premiership

When the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formed the government under Vajpayee, Advani took charge as the Union Home Minister in 1998, later serving as Deputy Prime Minister from 2002 to 2004.

As Home Minister, he managed complex national security challenges, including cross-border terrorism, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the aftermath of the Kandahar hijacking crisis. Known for a firm administrative posture, Advani cemented his reputation as an unyielding manager of state security and governance.

Later Years and the Bharat Ratna

In March 2024, the central government conferred the Bharat Ratna—India’s highest civilian honour—upon Advani at his residence in recognition of his lifetime of public service. Though retired from active political life in recent years, his organizational legacy remains central to the modern political landscape.

As party leaders gather to mark his entry into his centennial year, Advani's career stands as the defining bridge between the early days of opposition politics and the rise of the current ruling establishment.