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L. K. Advani Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth8 November 1927

Age97 Years

BirthplaceKarachi, Bombay Presidency, British India (now Sindh, Pakistan)

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidower

SpouseKamla Advani

FamilySon - Jayant Advani; Daughter - Pratibha Advani

Net worthRs. 8.35 crores (as of 2024)

L. K. Advani Biography

Lal Krishna Advani is a veteran Indian politician whose career spans seven decades. A founding figure of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he has served in top‑r

Early life and background

Lal Krishna Advani was born on 8 November 1927 in Karachi, then part of the Bombay Presidency in British India (today in Sindh, Pakistan). He grew up in pre‑partition Sindh, attended St. Patrick's High School in Karachi and later studied at D. G. National College in Hyderabad, Sindh. Advani completed a law degree from Government Law College, Mumbai. He is a Sindhi Hindu by ethnicity and is known to follow vegetarian food habits.

Advani’s early public life included involvement with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He joined the organisation in Karachi in 1941 and became a full‑time worker, later serving as secretary of the RSS unit in Karachi in 1947. After Partition he worked as an RSS pracharak in several districts of Rajasthan until the early 1950s and was also involved in journalism projects associated with the movement.

Career

Advani entered formal politics with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951 and took on organisational roles early in his career, serving as general secretary of the Delhi unit in 1957 and later as chairman of the Delhi Metropolitan Council from 1967 to 1970. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time from Delhi in 1970 and subsequently represented Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in later terms.

He rose through party ranks to become president of the Jana Sangh in the 1970s, and after a spell with the Janata Party in the late 1970s he was a founding figure of the Bharatiya Janata Party in April 1980. Within the BJP he held senior organisational posts, including general secretary and several terms as party president, helping to expand the party’s national presence during the 1980s and 1990s.

Advani served multiple terms as a Member of Parliament in both houses. He made his Lok Sabha debut in 1989 and became Leader of the Opposition. He served as leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha on several occasions across the 1990s and 2000s. Following the BJP’s electoral successes in the late 1990s, Advani held senior ministerial responsibilities: he was Union Home Minister from 1998 to 2004, and he served as Deputy Prime Minister from 29 June 2002 until 2004. During that period he also held additional cabinet charges, including Coal and Mines and the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Throughout his political life Advani organised and led a number of nationwide political marches and yatras. Notable examples include the 1990 Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya and subsequent mass movements and yatras such as the Janadesh Yatra (1993), Swarna Jayanti Rath Yatra (1997), Bharat Uday Yatra (2004), Bharat Suraksha Yatra (2006) and Jan Chetna Yatra (2011). He also chaired parliamentary committees and served on multiple standing and joint committees related to home affairs, parliamentary functioning and heritage conservation.

Public profile

Advani has been a prominent and sometimes controversial public figure. Major legal and political events involving him include allegations in the Jain Hawala diaries case in 1996, from which he was later acquitted, and his inclusion among the accused in the 1992 Ayodhya case; a Special CBI Court acquitted all accused in that matter in 2020. His autobiography, My Country, My Life, was published in 2008 and recorded strong sales.

He has been recognised with national honours: the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 and the Bharat Ratna in 2024. Known by the epithet Loh Purush (Iron Man), Advani has been closely associated with party colleagues such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has played a central role in shaping the BJP’s direction over several decades.

Personal life

Advani married Kamla Advani on 25 February 1965; she is now deceased. The couple had two children: a son, Jayant Advani, and a daughter, Pratibha Advani, who is active in television as an anchor and producer. He has one sister, Sheela Advani. His hobbies include reading and watching films, and he maintains a routine of walking for fitness.

Latest updates

Advani was admitted to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi on 3 July 2024 for observation of age‑related health issues and remained under the care of urology specialists.

Awards and honours

2015: Padma Vibhushan

2024: Bharat Ratna
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Recent Work

My Country, My Life

Autobiography released in 2008 that sold over one million copies.

2008
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951 and rose through party organisation
  2. Co‑founded the Bharatiya Janata Party in April 1980
  3. Served as Union Home Minister (1998–2004) and Deputy Prime Minister (2002–2004)
  4. Led major nationwide political yatras including the 1990 Ram Rath Yatra
  5. Held multiple terms as Member of Parliament in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
  6. Honoured with Padma Vibhushan (2015) and Bharat Ratna (2024)
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Net Worth

Rs. 8.35 crores (as of 2024)

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was L. K. Advani born?

8 November 1927

What is L. K. Advani known for?

Politician

What is L. K. Advani’s marital status?

Widower

Who is L. K. Advani married to?

Kamla Advani

What is L. K. Advani’s net worth?

Rs. 8.35 crores (as of 2024)