L. K. Advani

Lal Krishna Advani (born 8 November 1927) is an Indian lawyer, journalist, trade unionist and politician who served as the 7th deputy prime minister of India from 2002 to 2004. In 2024, he was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, for his monumental contributions to the nation. He is one of the co-founders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a lifelong member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindutva organisation. He was the longest serving Minister of Home Affairs serving for 6 years and 64 days from 1998 to 2004, until his protége Amit Shah overtook him in 2025. He is also the longest serving Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as well as the longest serving President of the BJP. He was the BJP's prime ministerial candidate during the 1989, 1991, and 2009 general elections.