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Advani enters 100th year; Modi traces Partition to Rath Yatra
Bharat Ratna L K Advani, born on 8 November 1927, enters his 100th year on Diwali 2026. The Prime Minister wrote an article on him, covering Partition, the Emergency and the Rath Yatra, and his reading, cinema and writing. His official record runs from 1947 to 2019.
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Bharat Ratna Lal Krishna Advani, the former Deputy Prime Minister, enters his 100th year on 8 November 2026, a date that this year falls on Diwali. The Prime Minister's Office said Narendra Modi greeted him that day and wrote an article on his contribution to the country. A point of arithmetic is worth keeping straight: the Lok Sabha's biography of Mr Advani gives his date of birth as 8 November 1927, so he completes 99 years today and begins his hundredth. The Prime Minister's own post says he "enters his hundredth year", which is the precise phrase.
The article Modi wrote for the day
In a post on X, Mr Modi called the day a landmark and said he had written an article, published in English and Hindi, highlighting Mr Advani's "everlasting contribution to India". The Prime Minister's Office summarised its contents. Mr Modi recalled the journey from experiencing the horrors of Partition and rebuilding life from scratch, through strengthening the Jana Sangh and building the Bharatiya Janata Party, to standing up for democracy during the Emergency, leading the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra and serving the nation in government.
The article also turns to the private man. Mr Modi wrote about Mr Advani as a voracious reader, with a love for culture and cinema, and as a prolific writer. Those were the aspects the Prime Minister chose to name in his short post, and the Prime Minister's Office release repeats them without adding detail.
On the same day Mr Modi was at the CoBRA base in Bastar, spending Diwali with security personnel, and his office also published Diwali greetings to the country.
From the Karachi RSS to the Deputy Prime Minister's office
The Lok Sabha's biography, which is the official record of his parliamentary career, shows how long the road was. He was born in Karachi, now in Pakistan, and was educated at St Patrick's High School in Karachi, D.G. National College in Hyderabad, Sindh, and Government Law College in Mumbai. In 1947 he was Secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Karachi. The listing then jumps to Delhi in the 1960s.
| Period | Position held, as listed by the Lok Sabha |
|---|---|
| 1966 to 1970 | Leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in the Interim Metropolitan Council, then Chairman of the Metropolitan Council, Delhi |
| 1970 | Elected to the Rajya Sabha; later re-elected in 1976, 1982 and 1988 |
| 1973 to 1977 | President of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh |
| 1977 to 1980 | Union Cabinet Minister for Information and Broadcasting |
| 1980 to 1986 | General Secretary, Bharatiya Janata Party |
| 1986 to 1991 | President, BJP |
| 1989 | Elected to the 9th Lok Sabha; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, 1989 to 1991 |
| 1993 to 1998 | President, BJP |
| 1998 to 2004 | Union Cabinet Minister for Home Affairs |
| 29 June 2002 to May 2004 | Deputy Prime Minister |
| 2006 to December 2009 | Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha |
| 2014 to 2019 | Re-elected to the 16th Lok Sabha; Chairperson, Committee on Ethics |
By that account he sat for seven terms in the Lok Sabha, the last from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, and four in the Rajya Sabha, and led the Opposition in both Houses. During his time as Deputy Prime Minister he also held additional charge of the Coal and Mines ministry in 2002 and of Personnel, Pensions and Public Grievances from January 2003 to May 2004.
Bharat Ratna at home, and three birthdays with the Prime Minister
On 3 February 2024 the Prime Minister announced that Mr Advani would be conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award. He said he had spoken to Mr Advani and congratulated him, and called him one of the most respected statesmen of the time whose life began at the grassroots and reached the Deputy Prime Minister's chair. He spoke of an "unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity" and of "unparalleled efforts towards furthering national unity and cultural resurgence".
The same day, Home Minister Amit Shah said Mr Advani had set the standard of authenticity in Indian politics and that his contribution to the party and its ideology could not be put in words. He added that the decision honoured crores of countrymen.
The award was presented at his home. On 31 March 2024 President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna on him at a ceremony at his residence in New Delhi, in the presence of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Mr Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Mr Shah and the family.
Since then the Prime Minister's visits have followed a pattern. On Mr Advani's birthday on 8 November 2024, Mr Modi went to his residence to wish him, and wrote that the year was "even more special" because of the Bharat Ratna. On 7 October 2026 he met Mr Advani at home again and sought his blessings, speaking of decades of public service that had left a lasting imprint on national life. This year's tribute is a written article rather than a short post.
The official record does not say how Mr Advani will mark the day, and neither the Prime Minister's Office nor the Lok Sabha has listed any event for it.
Sources
- PM greets Bharat Ratna, Shri L.K. Advani Ji as he enters his 100th year (Prime Minister's Office)2026-11-08
- Advani, Shri Lal Krishna: member biography (Lok Sabha)2026-11-08
- LK Advani to be honoured with Bharat Ratna, announces PM (Prime Minister's Office)2024-02-03
- President of India confers Bharat Ratna upon Shri L.K. Advani (Rashtrapati Bhavan)2024-03-31
- Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah expresses happiness with the announcement of awarding Bharat Ratna to Shri Lal Krishna Advani (Press Information Bureau)2024-02-03
- PM conveys best wishes to Shri LK Advani Ji on his birthday (Prime Minister's Office)2024-11-08
About the Author
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Reyaansh Agarawal
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Reyaansh Agarawal contributes to Wirony, covering stories that are carefully reviewed and approved by the editorial team before publication. Wirony is committed to maintaining tran…
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