Dharmendra Pradhan Marks Advani's Centenary Year
Synopsis
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan paid tribute to Bharat Ratna Lal Krishna Advani in Odia on his 99th birthday, marking the centenary year of the veteran BJP stalwart and former Deputy Prime Minister who received India's highest civilian honour in 2024.
Key Takeaways
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan posted an Odia-language tribute to Bharat Ratna Lal Krishna Advani on November 8, 2026 .
Advani , born in 1927 , turns 99 this year, making 2027 his centenary year.
The Union government conferred the Bharat Ratna on Advani in 2024 for his contributions to public life.
Advani served as Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The BJP has a pattern of publicly honouring its founding generation on birthdays, linking current leadership to earlier ideological figures.
A century in the making — Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan marked the centenary year of Bharat Ratna Lal Krishna Advani on Sunday, November 8, 2026, posting a tribute in Odia alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handle, honouring the veteran leader who shaped modern Indian conservatism.
Pradhan's post, written in Odia, translates to a salutation to 'Bharat Ratna Lal Krishna Advani' in his centenary year, with a respectful acknowledgement of Prime Minister Modi — a pairing that underscores the BJP's deliberate effort to draw an unbroken line between its founding generation and its current leadership.
Advani at 99: A Life That Shaped the BJP
Lal Krishna Advani, born in 1927, is one of the principal architects of the Bharatiya Janata Party as it stands today. He served as Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, and his decades of organisational work remain foundational to the party's ideological identity.
In 2024, the Union government conferred upon him the Bharat Ratna — India's highest civilian honour — in recognition of his contributions to public life. The award was seen widely as a formal acknowledgement of a career spanning more than seven decades in active politics.
Why the Centenary Year Matters to the BJP
With Advani completing 99 years in 2026, his centenary in 2027 is shaping up as a significant milestone on the BJP's commemorative calendar. Senior leaders invoking his name on birthdays and anniversaries has become a recurring feature of the party's public communication — a way of anchoring contemporary electoral politics in a longer ideological story.
Pradhan's choice to write in Odia, his mother tongue, adds a personal register to what is otherwise a party-wide ritual of remembrance, signalling that the tribute is as much felt as it is performed.
As 2027 approaches, expect the BJP to build a fuller commemorative arc around Advani's hundred years — a man whose career is, in many ways, the party's biography.
Point of View
Such gestures are likely to intensify, serving both as genuine respect for a party elder and as a reminder to the broader Hindutva constituency of its long historical arc. For Pradhan, writing in Odia adds a vernacular authenticity that distinguishes the tribute from routine party messaging.
NationPress
8 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lal Krishna Advani in 2026?
Lal Krishna Advani turns 99 years old in 2026 , having been born in 1927 . His centenary year falls in 2027 .
When did Advani receive the Bharat Ratna?
Lal Krishna Advani was conferred the Bharat Ratna — India's highest civilian honour — in 2024 by the Union government in recognition of his lifelong contributions to public life.
What position did Advani hold in government?
Advani served as Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government.
Why did Dharmendra Pradhan write in Odia?
Odia is Dharmendra Pradhan 's mother tongue — he is from Odisha — and writing the tribute in Odia added a personal dimension to the birthday post.
What is the BJP likely to do for Advani's centenary in 2027?
The BJP is expected to organise commemorative events and tributes in 2027 to mark Advani's centenary , continuing the party's tradition of honouring its founding generation on significant milestones.
