PM Narendra Modi on January 3 announced ‘Bharat Ratna' for BJP leader and former Dy PM Lal Krishna Advani.
Advani was born on November 8, 1927, in pre-Partition Sindh. In 1947, Advani migrated to Delhi after the partition.
He became part of the Jana Sangh, BJP’s predecessor, in 1951 when it was formed by Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1970 and held his seat till 1989. In December 1972, he was elected president of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
Advani was appointed information and broadcasting minister in the Janata Party in 1975 under the prime ministership of Morarji Desai.
He along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee played a pivotal role in founding the BJP in 1980.
He gained prominence for his leadership role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement during the 1990s, advocating for the construction of a temple in Ayodhya.
Advani served as deputy prime minister and home minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee rule from 2002 to 2004. Served as Home Minister from 1998-2004.
In recent years, he has taken a step back from active political engagements due to health issues.