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Express News Service
LUCKNOW: Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had a towering shadow over the politics of Hindi heartland for over five decades, died of prolonged illness at Medanta Hospital on Monday morning. The veteran socialist leader would have turned 83 on November 22, next. He is survived by two sons and one of the biggest political families of the country.
He served as Uttar Pradesh CM thrice besides being a 10-time MLA and seven-time MP. Mulayam also served as the Union defence minister between 1996 and 1998 as part of the United Front government. His son Akhilesh Yadav has also donned the mantle of the UP CM once (2012-2017).
A wrestler and a teacher in his early life, Mulayam’s entry into politics had its origin in a wrestling match. Mulayam, then a 28-year-old, was participating in a match in Mainpuri and impressed Nathu Singh, the then MLA of Jaswantnagar in Mainpuri with his skills and resilience as a wrestler. Nathu Singh picked up Mulayam as his protege in politics and fielded him as the candidate on hisJaswantnagar assembly seat on Sanyukta Socialist Party ticket and himself shifted to another in 1967.
Since 1967, Mulayam never looked back and went on to win the Jaswantnagar assembly seat six more times till 1993, representing different parties each time — 1974 (Bharatiya Kisan Dal), 1977 (Bharatiya Lok Dal), 1985 (Lok Dal of Charan Singh), 1989 (Janata Dal), 1991 (Samajwadi Janata Party), 1993 (Samajawadi Party).
Moreover, in 1996, he won the Assembly election from Sahsawan , in 2003 from Gunnaur and in 2007 from Gunnaur and Barthana both.
After 1993, Mulayam, who had graduated in politics as a protégé of socialist ideologue, Ram Manohar Lohia, had attained mastery in political moves and floored all his political rivals. The wrestler, whose political career took off in the ravines of Chambal inhabited by dreaded dacoits, outsmarted his politicalrivals across the spectrum at different times through is shrewd moves.
Born to Murti Devi and Sughar Singh on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district of UP, Mulayam continued to rule the political arena of the Hindi heartland during his political journey which spanned over 55 years.
ALSO READ | Mulayam a key soldier for democracy during Emergency: PM
Having represented a whole lot of constituencies in the state assembly, Mulayam continued with his winning streak in parliamentary elections from Mainpuri, Sambhal, Kannauj, and Azamgarh. He won Mainpuri five times in 1996, 2004, 2009 and 2014, 2019, twice from Sambhal in 1998 and 1999, and Kannauj in 1999 and Azamgarh in 2014. He contested twice on two seats and won both – Sambhal and Kannauj in 1999, and Azamgarh and Mainpuri in 2014. He vacated both of them later.
Looked upon as a champion of social justice, Mulayam thrived on anti-Congressism in politics after the departure of Lohia and Jaiprakash Narain and founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992. He was one of the main players in the anti–Congress camp till the BJP emerged as a new political force in the late 80s in the backdrop of the Ram Temple movement. After the fall of Congress in UP, Mulayam became the champion of Mandalite forces along with Lalu Prasad.
His stance against Congress came to the fore during the 2017 Assembly elections as well when his son Akhilesh Yadav was forging an alliance with the grand old party and he opposed it vehemently but by then he had little say in the party affairs.
The demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya in 1993 and the incidents before and after played an important role in Mulayam’s political career especially when hardcore Hindutva politics started taking centre stage. In 1990, he, as UP CM, had ordered police firing on Kar sewaks in Ayodhya. Mulayam’s approach to suppress the temple movement led the Muslims to gravitate towards SP and thus emerged a robust M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) combination standing as clout firmly behind the Samajwadi Party. After this, Mulayam was often referred to as ‘Mullah Mulayam’.
Having helmed UP thrice as CM in 1989-91, 1993-95 and 2003-2007, when his party attained a full majority for the first time since its inception in 2012, Mulayam installed Akhilesh as the chief minister.Mulayam, who lived with the moniker of ‘Dhartiputra’ in active politics, nurtured the prime ministerial ambitions and expressed them explicitly in 1996. When the United Front was about to form a government in 1996, Mulayam’s name was floated by senior leaders of the Front for the post of prime minister.
ALSO READ | Mulayam Singh Yadav’s journey: Timeline
However, Lalu Prasad Yadav opposed it and Mulayam, a few years ago, in a rally in Lucknow, blamed the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader for missing the opportunity.
The Samajwadi Party projected him as the prime ministerial candidate again in 2014. However, the Samajwadi leader, who claimed to be the flag-bearer of socialist ideology of Lohia, vehemently opposing dynastic politics, is often accused of raising a party which was engrained in nepotism. He raised the largest political family of India which was most powerful at its peak with a number of MPs,MLAs, zila panchayat chiefs and pradhans in its ranks.
Mulayam’s cousin Ramgopal Yadav, brother Shivpal Yadav, son Akhilesh Yadav, nephews Dharmendra Yadav and Akshaya Yadav, daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav, and grandnephew Tej Pratap Singh Yadav are in politics.
However, in 2016, the fault lines in the family that MSY had nurtured were out in the open with his son Akhilesh Yadav, the then UP CM, and younger brother Shivpal Yadav, got engaged in a bitter battle of one-upmanship. The ageing patriarch couldn’t do more than just being a mute spectator. He was even deposed by Akhilesh in a coup of sorts and relegated to the position of party patriarch while Akhilesh himself donned the mantle of party president on January 1, 2017.
Many in the political circles feel that Mulayam’s guarded silence was a shrewd political move to establish his son firmly in the saddle. The feud, however, saw the start of SP’s decline as a party which continues under Akhilesh.
For two-and-a-half years, he did a balancing act between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal. Mulayam had now clearly sided with his son and Shivpal floated his own Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L).
Mulayam had always been a man of his own conviction. Be it fielding former bandit queen Phoolan Devi as an SP candidate, or deciding not to field SP candidates against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Rajnath Singh, Mulayam never thought twice. It was during his tenure as Union defence minister, the decision to hand over the bodies of martyred soldiers to their families was taken.
LUCKNOW: Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had a towering shadow over the politics of Hindi heartland for over five decades, died of prolonged illness at Medanta Hospital on Monday morning. The veteran socialist leader would have turned 83 on November 22, next. He is survived by two sons and one of the biggest political families of the country.
He served as Uttar Pradesh CM thrice besides being a 10-time MLA and seven-time MP. Mulayam also served as the Union defence minister between 1996 and 1998 as part of the United Front government. His son Akhilesh Yadav has also donned the mantle of the UP CM once (2012-2017).
A wrestler and a teacher in his early life, Mulayam’s entry into politics had its origin in a wrestling match. Mulayam, then a 28-year-old, was participating in a match in Mainpuri and impressed Nathu Singh, the then MLA of Jaswantnagar in Mainpuri with his skills and resilience as a wrestler. Nathu Singh picked up Mulayam as his protege in politics and fielded him as the candidate on his
Jaswantnagar assembly seat on Sanyukta Socialist Party ticket and himself shifted to another in 1967.
Since 1967, Mulayam never looked back and went on to win the Jaswantnagar assembly seat six more times till 1993, representing different parties each time — 1974 (Bharatiya Kisan Dal), 1977 (Bharatiya Lok Dal), 1985 (Lok Dal of Charan Singh), 1989 (Janata Dal), 1991 (Samajwadi Janata Party), 1993 (Samajawadi Party).
Moreover, in 1996, he won the Assembly election from Sahsawan , in 2003 from Gunnaur and in 2007 from Gunnaur and Barthana both.
After 1993, Mulayam, who had graduated in politics as a protégé of socialist ideologue, Ram Manohar Lohia, had attained mastery in political moves and floored all his political rivals. The wrestler, whose political career took off in the ravines of Chambal inhabited by dreaded dacoits, outsmarted his political
rivals across the spectrum at different times through is shrewd moves.
Born to Murti Devi and Sughar Singh on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district of UP, Mulayam continued to rule the political arena of the Hindi heartland during his political journey which spanned over 55 years.
ALSO READ | Mulayam a key soldier for democracy during Emergency: PM
Having represented a whole lot of constituencies in the state assembly, Mulayam continued with his winning streak in parliamentary elections from Mainpuri, Sambhal, Kannauj, and Azamgarh. He won Mainpuri five times in 1996, 2004, 2009 and 2014, 2019, twice from Sambhal in 1998 and 1999, and Kannauj in 1999 and Azamgarh in 2014. He contested twice on two seats and won both – Sambhal and Kannauj in 1999, and Azamgarh and Mainpuri in 2014. He vacated both of them later.
Looked upon as a champion of social justice, Mulayam thrived on anti-Congressism in politics after the departure of Lohia and Jaiprakash Narain and founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992. He was one of the main players in the anti–Congress camp till the BJP emerged as a new political force in the late 80s in the backdrop of the Ram Temple movement. After the fall of Congress in UP, Mulayam became the champion of Mandalite forces along with Lalu Prasad.
His stance against Congress came to the fore during the 2017 Assembly elections as well when his son Akhilesh Yadav was forging an alliance with the grand old party and he opposed it vehemently but by then he had little say in the party affairs.
The demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya in 1993 and the incidents before and after played an important role in Mulayam’s political career especially when hardcore Hindutva politics started taking centre stage. In 1990, he, as UP CM, had ordered police firing on Kar sewaks in Ayodhya. Mulayam’s approach to suppress the temple movement led the Muslims to gravitate towards SP and thus emerged a robust M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) combination standing as clout firmly behind the Samajwadi Party. After this, Mulayam was often referred to as ‘Mullah Mulayam’.
Having helmed UP thrice as CM in 1989-91, 1993-95 and 2003-2007, when his party attained a full majority for the first time since its inception in 2012, Mulayam installed Akhilesh as the chief minister.
Mulayam, who lived with the moniker of ‘Dhartiputra’ in active politics, nurtured the prime ministerial ambitions and expressed them explicitly in 1996. When the United Front was about to form a government in 1996, Mulayam’s name was floated by senior leaders of the Front for the post of prime minister.
ALSO READ | Mulayam Singh Yadav’s journey: Timeline
However, Lalu Prasad Yadav opposed it and Mulayam, a few years ago, in a rally in Lucknow, blamed the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader for missing the opportunity.
The Samajwadi Party projected him as the prime ministerial candidate again in 2014. However, the Samajwadi leader, who claimed to be the flag-bearer of socialist ideology of Lohia, vehemently opposing dynastic politics, is often accused of raising a party which was engrained in nepotism. He raised the largest political family of India which was most powerful at its peak with a number of MPs,
MLAs, zila panchayat chiefs and pradhans in its ranks.
Mulayam’s cousin Ramgopal Yadav, brother Shivpal Yadav, son Akhilesh Yadav, nephews Dharmendra Yadav and Akshaya Yadav, daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav, and grandnephew Tej Pratap Singh Yadav are in politics.
However, in 2016, the fault lines in the family that MSY had nurtured were out in the open with his son Akhilesh Yadav, the then UP CM, and younger brother Shivpal Yadav, got engaged in a bitter battle of one-upmanship. The ageing patriarch couldn’t do more than just being a mute spectator. He was even deposed by Akhilesh in a coup of sorts and relegated to the position of party patriarch while Akhilesh himself donned the mantle of party president on January 1, 2017.
Many in the political circles feel that Mulayam’s guarded silence was a shrewd political move to establish his son firmly in the saddle. The feud, however, saw the start of SP’s decline as a party which continues under Akhilesh.
For two-and-a-half years, he did a balancing act between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal. Mulayam had now clearly sided with his son and Shivpal floated his own Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L).
Mulayam had always been a man of his own conviction. Be it fielding former bandit queen Phoolan Devi as an SP candidate, or deciding not to field SP candidates against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Rajnath Singh, Mulayam never thought twice. It was during his tenure as Union defence minister, the decision to hand over the bodies of martyred soldiers to their families was taken.
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