LK Advani admitted to Delhi hospital with chest infection, condition stable in ICU

Former deputy prime minister and senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani has been admitted to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi with a chest infection, and is in the intensive care unit in a stable condition, the hospital said on Saturday.

Advani, 98, was brought to the hospital at around 7:30 pm on Friday, according to reports. He was first admitted under the pulmonary department for treatment and tests before being shifted to the ICU.

Hospital statement

In a statement issued on Saturday, the hospital said his condition was stable and that he remained under close medical observation. He is being treated under a team led by senior consultant Dr Vinit Suri.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda visited the hospital on Saturday morning to enquire about his health and speak to the doctors treating him.

Previous hospital stays

This is not Advani's first hospital admission in recent years. He was admitted to the same hospital in May this year for age-related complications and discharged after a few days. He was also hospitalised several times in 2024, including a stay in intensive care in December that year.

A towering figure in BJP history

Advani is one of the founding leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and served as the country's deputy prime minister and home minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He led the party through its rise in the late 1980s and 1990s and was its prime ministerial candidate in the 2009 general election. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2024.

Advani has largely stayed away from active politics in recent years, and he was named among the members of the BJP's Margdarshak Mandal, an advisory body of senior leaders, after 2014. He continues to be regarded as one of the party's most senior elder statesmen.

Hospital officials have not indicated how long he is likely to remain in intensive care. Further medical bulletins are expected over the coming days.