A century of living, a lifetime of shaping India — Bharat Ratna L.K. Advani entered his hundredth year on Sunday, November 8, 2026, and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju marked the occasion with a heartfelt tribute on X, calling Advani's life 'part of a remarkable national story.'

From Jan Sangh roots to Bharat Ratna

Advani has been a fixture in Indian public life since the 1950s, when he was associated with the Jan Sangh — the ideological predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He rose through decades of organisational work to become one of the BJP's principal architects, serving as Home Minister and later as Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Few figures in post-Independence Indian politics can claim as long or as consequential a public career.

In 2024, the Government of India conferred the Bharat Ratna — the country's highest civilian honour — on Advani, formally recognising a lifetime of public service. It was an acknowledgment that crossed party lines and generations.

Modi's tribute and what Rijiju highlighted

Rijiju drew specific attention to a tribute posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as capturing 'the significance of this occasion' and reflecting on 'the journey of a leader whose life has touched generations.' The reference underscores how the BJP's current leadership publicly traces its ideological lineage back to Advani's era — a continuity the party reinforces at every significant milestone.

The gesture fits a broader pattern. The BJP has long marked centenary and milestone moments for its senior-most stalwarts — Vajpayee's birth anniversaries, for instance, have drawn similar cascades of tributes. For the party, these occasions serve both as genuine remembrance and as a restatement of the ideological thread running from the Jan Sangh era to the present.

A milestone that belongs to modern India

Reaching a hundredth year is rare for anyone. For a figure whose public journey tracks almost the full arc of independent India — from the republic's early years through liberalisation, coalition politics, and the BJP's rise to dominance — it carries a weight that goes beyond the personal. Rijiju's post closed simply: 'Happy Birthday Advani ji!' Simple words. The career behind them is anything but simple.

As senior leaders add their voices and formal events take shape around this centenary year, Advani's milestone will serve as an occasion for the BJP to reflect on where it came from — and how far it has travelled.