Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani has been admitted to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi. Hospital officials confirmed his condition is currently “stable,” and he is closely monitored. The 96-year-old leader is under Dr. Vinit Suri, a senior neurologist. Advani was admitted to the hospital two days ago, and it is not yet clear why he has been hospitalized, though he had also been treated at the same facility earlier this year.

Advani’s Political Journey

Born in Karachi on November 8, 1927, Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at 14. After the Partition in 1947, he and his family migrated to India.

In 1951, Advani became a member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He entered the Rajya Sabha in 1970 and became the party president in 1972. Advani and his colleague Atal Bihari Vajpayee were arrested during the Emergency in 1975.

When the Janata Party government, led by Morarji Desai, took office in 1977, Advani was appointed the information and broadcasting minister. In 1980, he was pivotal in founding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Advani is widely credited with transforming the BJP from a small party with just two seats in the 1984 general election to a significant political force in the 1990s. His leadership in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, advocating for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, played a key role in boosting the BJP’s fortunes.

Advani served as the BJP president three times and held significant roles in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, including deputy prime minister and home minister. In the 2009 general elections, Advani was the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, but the party failed to secure victory.