The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a special celebration for party veteran LK Advani’s 99th birthday on Sunday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to call on him and a havan scheduled at the party headquarters, people aware of the arrangements said.
The celebration will be attended by BJP president Nitin Nabin and senior party leaders who have had a long association with Advani. Born in Karachi in undivided India, Advani, who is the recipient of the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP. A key face during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Advani held various positions in the BJP, including that of party president. He was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times and was also a member of the Rajya Sabha four times.
Advani began his political journey in 1951 by joining the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was the precursor to the BJP. The BJP stalwart served as the party president during three terms: 1986-1990, 1993-1998 and 2004-2005. He served as Union home minister from 1998 to 2004 and deputy prime minister from 2002 to 2004 in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2014, after the BJP came to power with a thumping majority, Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi, was elevated to the Margdarshak Mandal, an advisory body.
