L K Advani Biography

About LK Advani

Lal Krishna Advani, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is one of the senior-most leaders in Indian politics today. One of the eminent figures in Indian politics over the last few decades, he remained the Leader of Opposition in the 10th and 14th Lok Sabha or the lower house of the Parliament. His seniority and vast experience in Indian politics are evident from the fact that he played key roles both as a ruling party member and also as member of largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha. During the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government from 1998 to 2004, under the Prime Ministership of Atal Behari Vajpayee, Advani served as Home Minister and later as Deputy Prime Minister. This veteran leader walked the path of politics as a volunteer or sevak of a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Lal Krishna Advani family

Lal Krishna Advani was born on 8 November 1927 in Karachi (now in Pakistan) to Shri Kishinchand Advani and Gyanidevi. His family belonged to the Amil branch of Sindhi Hindus. The Amils were traditionally revenue officials who assisted the Munshis of the Muslim kings. They were a very renowned clan in Sindh and with time they dominated government jobs and professions in the area. His grandfather, Shri Dharamdas Khubchand Advani, a scholar of Sanskrit, was the principal of a government high school. His father was a businessman.

L. K. Advani completed his schooling in 1942 from one of the most highly rated schools in Karachi at that time, St. Patrick’s High School for Boys. He was a very good student. In 1942 he joined Dayaram Gidumal National College, Hyderabad (now in Pakistan). By this time the Quit India Movement was in full swing. He later completed his graduation in Law from Government Law College under Mumbai University. The Partition forced his family, like millions of others, to migrate to independent India. He married Kamalaji on 25 February 1965. Kamalaji had also migrated from Karachi. She worked in the General Post Office and was also a social welfare worker. They have a son Jayant, who is a businessman, and a daughter Pratibha, who is a well known television personality.

You may also like to read
Know about Arun Jaitley
Know Political Journey of Arackaparambil Kurien Antony
Know about Elections in India

LK Advani's professional life and entry in politics

At the age of 14 years after his matriculation, Advani moved to Hyderabad as his father shifted base to Hyderabad from Karachi. Here he used to play tennis. One of his regular partners, Murli Mukhi, who was already a sevak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), introduced him to the organization. Inspired by their ideals of patriotism, discipline and various trainings imparted, Lal Krishna Advani joined the RSS and became a swayamsevak of the sangh.

At the age of seventeen he took his first job as a teacher of Mathematics, Science, History and English in Model High School in Karachi, now in Pakistan.

In 1943, just after a year he joined the RSS, he was sent to Indore for his first Officers’ Training Camp. It is mandatory for a sevak of the RSS to undergo training before holding any responsible position of the sangh. Thereafter he went to Ahmedabad and Nagpur to complete second and third years of training respectively. To start with, he looked after activities of the sangh in Alwar city, and was extended afterwards to the entire district and the neighbouring Bharatpur District. In 1947 he became the Secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Karachi.

Political journey of LK Advani

• In 1947 L. K. Advani was elected as Secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of Karachi wing.
• 1951 he became the member of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, founded by Shri Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.
• From 1966 to 1967, he was the leader of Bharatiya Jan Sangh.
• From 1970 to 1976, he was the member of Rajya Sabha from Delhi.
• In 1973, L. K. Advani was elected President of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• He again became Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat from 1976 to 1982.
• In 1977, with the dissolution of Jana Sangh, Advani, along with veteran leader Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. enrolled in the Janata Party.
• In 1977 Janata Party won Lok Sabha elections and Morarji Desai became the new Prime Minister of India. Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Foreign Minister and L.K. Advani became the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
• From January 1980 to April 1980, he was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
• He was appointed the General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980 and held the position till 1986.
• In 1982, re-elected to Rajya Sabha for the third term.
• In 1986 he became the President of Bharatiya Janata Party and held the post until 1991.
• In 1988, he was re-elected as member of Rajya Sabha for the fourth term.
• In 1989, L. K. Advani was elected as member in the 9th Lok Sabha.
• From 1989 to 1991 he was the Leader of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha.
• From 1990 to 1991 he was the Chairman of Review the Lok Sabha Secretariat Committee according to Recruitment and Conditions Rules 1955.
• In 1991 he was elected as member of 10th Lok Sabha for the second term.
• From 1991 to 1993 He was the Leader of Opposition.
• From 1993 to 1998 he again became the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
• In 1998, he was elected as member of the 12th Lok Sabha for the third term.
• From 1998 to 1999 he was the Union Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs
• In 1999 re-elected as member of 13th Lok Sabha for the fourth term.
• From October 1999 to May 2004 He was the Union Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs
• From 29 June 2002 to May 2004 he was the Deputy Prime Minister.
• From 1 July 2002 to 25 August 2002 he was the Union Cabinet Minister of Personnel, Pensions and Public Grievances (additional charge).

.
• In 2004, Lal Krishna Advani was re-elected for the fifth term in the 14th Lok Sabha, becoming the Leader of Opposition.
• From 5 August 2006 to May 2009 he was the member of Committee on Home Affairs.
• In 2009. he was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha for the sixth term.
• From May 2009 to 21 December 2009 he was the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
• On 4 August 2009 he was selected as Member of Committee on Installation of Portraits/Statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians of Parliament House Complex.
• On 31 August 2009 he became the Member of Committee of Home Affairs.
• On 15 December 2009, he became Member of Joint Parliamentary Committee on Maintenance of Heritage Character and Development of Parliament House Complex.
• On 10 June 2013, to everyone’s surprise, Advani resigned from all the posts held by him, following Narendra Modi’s elevation to other important posts on 9 June 2013. He expressed his concerns saying that Bharatiya Janata Party is no longer the idealistic party as it was created by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Nanaji Deshmukh, Deendayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, after intervention and assurance from senior leader Rajnath Singh that the party would address and look into his concerns, L. K. Advani withdrew his resignation

Rath Yatras - L K Advani as the Eternal Yatri or Charioteer

• Ram Rath Yatra: On 25 September 1990 he started his first Rath Yatra from a place called Somnath in Gujarat and reached Ayodhya on 30 October 1990. The yatra was linked with Ram Janmabhoomi - Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, mainly focusing on secularism and communalism debate. It was stopped by Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, who also ordered shooting of the kar sewaks.
• Janadesh Yatra: Four Yatras started on 11 September 1993 from four corners of country, covering 14 States and two Union Territories. Advani led it from Mysore and on 25 September the yatris assembled at Bhopal in a massive rally. The purpose of this activity was to seek people's mandate against the Representation of People (Amendment) Bill and Constitution 80th Amendment Bill.



• Swarna Jayanti Rath Yatra:In this yatra L.K. Advani travelled across India from May to July 1997. The purpose of the yatra was to celebrate 50 years of Indian Independence and to project Bharatiya Janata Party as a party committed to good governance.
• Bharat Uday Yatra: Held before the 2004 Lok Sabha Elections as a run-up.
• Bharat Suraksha Yatra: A nationwide political campaign was launched by the party from 6 April 2006 to 10 May 2006 where two yatras took place. One was led by Lal Krishna Advani from Dwaraka in Gujarat to Delhi and the other was led by Rajnath Singh from Puri in Odisha to Delhi. The purpose of the yatra was to focus on left wing terrorism, corruption, minority politics, price rise and protection of democracy
• Jan Chetna Yatra: It was launched on 11 October 2011 from Sitab Diara, Bihar, the purpose of which was to mobilize public opinion against corruption of the UPA government

L.K. Advani Elections result

LK Advani books

• My Country My Life, an autobiographical by L.K. Advani, which was released by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on 19 March 2008
• Lal Krishna Advani: New Approaches to Security and Development
• Lal Krishna Advani: A Prisoner's Scrap-Book 

Awards Won by LK Advani

Lal Krishna Advani was conferred with Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1999 by Indian Parliamentary Group.