Samajwadi Party Founder Mulayam Singh Yadav Passes Away At 82

3-Time CM of UP Dies Of Multi-Organ Failure After A Prolonged Illness

Mulayam Singh Yadav, the patriarch of the Samajwadi Party and three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh passed away on October 10, 2022 at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, of multi-organ failure after a prolonged illness. He was cremated with full state honours at his native Saifai village in Etawah district amid a sea of people, including top politicians, across the country. The National Flag flies at half mast at center point of Aligarh as the state of Uttar Pradesh observes three day state mourning as tribute to him. He was 82 and was survived by two sons, Akhilesh and Prateek.

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Biography

Yadav, born on November 22, 1939 in Saifai village of Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh. Yadav, who started off as a wrestler, later transitioned to teaching before making his final foray into politics. He joined Chaudhary Charan Singh's Bharatiya Kranti Dal. Bharatiya Lok Dal was created after this party combined with Sanyukt Socialist Party. Following the emergency (1975–1977), Bharatiya Lok Dal and Janata Dal united. In 1977, he became minister for the first time. In 1980, he also served as president of the Lok Dal, and from 1985 to 1987, he led the Janata Dal in Uttar Pradesh for two years and in 1982-1987, he became Member of Legislative Council and Leader of the Opposition in the Council. In 1989-1991,he became Uttar Pradesh CM for the first time. On November 2, 1990, his administration authorised the shooting of "Kar Sevaks'' in Ayodhya. Between 1967 and 1996, he was chosen eight times to serve in Uttar Pradesh's Legislative Assembly. He has been re-elected to the Lok Sabha seven times since 1996 and is still a member of that body. He again was named Chief Minister in 1992 following the destruction of the Babri Mosque (1993-95). When the Sukhoi-30 was ordered and the Deve Gowda government was established in 1996, Yadav was appointed Defense Minister. In 2003, he was elected as the third Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a position he held for four years.

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Career

Yadav was a media-friendly, old-school politician who supported his family, friends, and close relatives despite receiving criticism from opponents. He was frequently criticised for doing so. Given that he had at one stage several family members serving in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and Parliament, this criticism was not out of place. Interestingly, Yadav and his political tutor Charan Singh never missed a chance to criticise Indira Gandhi for supporting dynasties up until the late 1980s. But after he established his own Samajwadi Party in 1992, he eventually lost his rigidity and participated in supporting his son Akhilesh Yadav and other members of his family who were interested in entering politics. From that point on, his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav served as his protector, putting his life in danger to foil every plot against him. Shivpal remained his close political ally for this reason. Even though his friendship with Amar Singh and his connections to the Bollywood industry were at odds with his socialist roots, he was able to manage these inconsistencies and even flaunted them at the "Safai Mahotsav" held in his town, where a who's who of movie stars used to perform.

Dominance of Mulayam Singh Yadav In National Politics

In the post-Mandal era, Mulayam Singh dominated national politics by mobilising a powerful OBC-Muslim coalition in the state, which typically determines the fate of the federal administration. The SP grandfather, who is referred to by his supporters as "Netaji," has enjoyed great popularity in his pocket borough of Mainpuri-Etah-Etawa, where he was seen more as an elderly person who could reprimand them than as a simple vote-seeking politician. People from his generation still recall Yadav's bicycle riding in Lucknow during the 1980s. He used to travel to Lucknow's newspaper offices back then. Then he was known for his simplicity. But during the 1980s, he gained notoriety as the Yadav leader, and in the 1990s, Muslims started to admire him for being a powerful opponent of the RSS and the Ram Mandir movement in the state.