Veteran BJP leader LK Advani admitted to Apollo Hospital in Delhi. Details here

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani has been admitted to Apollo Hospital in the national capital. Hospital officials have confirmed that the 96-year-old leader's condition is "stable," and he is currently under observation.

Advani is being treated by Dr. Vinit Suri, a senior consultant in neurology, according to a report by PTI. He was brought to the hospital two days ago, marking his second hospitalization at the facility this year. However, the specific reason for his latest admission has not been disclosed.

A Pivotal Figure in Indian Politics

Born on November 8, 1927, in Karachi (then part of undivided India), L.K. Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the age of 14. Following the Partition in 1947, Advani and his family relocated to India.

In 1951, Advani became a founding member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was established by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He entered the Rajya Sabha in 1970 and was elected president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh two years later.

“L.K. Advani ji, former Deputy Prime Minister of India, has been admitted to ICU of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals for medical management and investigations. He is under the care of Dr Vinit Suri and is currently stable,” Apollo Hospitals.

During the Emergency (1975–77) imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was arrested. After the Janata Party formed the government under Morarji Desai in 1977, Advani was appointed the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

Founding the BJP and Shaping Its Rise

In 1980, Advani played a key role in founding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), following the disbandment of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Under his leadership, the BJP transformed from a marginal political entity with just two seats in the 1984 general elections into a formidable national party by the 1990s.

Advani's leadership in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, advocating for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, was instrumental in bolstering the BJP's political prominence. He served as the party's president on three occasions and held key portfolios, including deputy prime minister and home minister, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure as Prime Minister.

In the 2009 general elections, Advani was named the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, though the party was unable to secure victory. Over the years, his active role in politics gradually diminished, but he remains an iconic figure in the BJP and Indian politics.