Mulayam Singh Yadav (22 November 1939 – 10 October 2022) was an Indian politician, a socialist figure and founder of the Samajwadi Party. Over the course of his political career spanning more than six decades, he served for three terms as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and also as the Union Minister of Defence in the Government of India. A long-time parliamentarian, he was a seven-time Member of Parliament representing Mainpuri, Azamgarh, Sambhal and Kannauj constituencies in the Lok Sabha, a ten-time member of the Legislative Assembly, member of the Legislative Council and the Leader of Opposition for several times as well. The veteran politician was a prominent figure of his time in Indian Politics, and was often referred to as Netaji (meaning respected leader in Hindi) and Dhartiputra (son of mother earth) by party leaders and workers. In 2023, the socialist leader was posthumously conferred with Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award by the Government of India.
Early life and education
Mulayam Singh Yadav was born to Murti Devi and Sughar Singh Yadav on 22 November 1939 in Saifai village, Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Akhilesh Yadav is his only son from his first marriage to Malti Devi.
Yadav earned three degrees in political science — a B.A. from Karm Kshetra Post Graduate College in Etawah, a B.T. from A. K. College in Shikohabad, and an M.A. from B. R. College, Agra University.
Teaching career
Before joining politics, Yadav was engaged in teaching profession. In 1963, he was a schoolmaster at Jain Inter-College in Karhal, Mainpuri. In 1974, he was promoted to a lecturer after attaining his master's degree.
Political career
Groomed by leaders such as Ram Manohar Lohia, Raj Narain, Anantram Jaiswal and Chandra Shekhar, Yadav was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh in 1967 from Jaswantnagar on a Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) ticket the party founded by Anantram Jaiswal & George Fernandes. In 1975, during Indira Gandhi's imposition of the Emergency, Yadav was arrested and kept in custody for 19 months.
He first became a state minister in 1977. Later, in 1980, he became the president of the Lok Dal (People's Party) in Uttar Pradesh, which became a part of the Janata Dal (People's Party) afterwards. In 1982, he was elected leader of the opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and held that post until 1985. When the Lok Dal party split, Yadav launched the Krantikari Morcha party.
Chief Minister
First term
Yadav first became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1989.
In 1990, a large body of Sangh Parivar supporters reached Ayodhya and attempted to attack the 16th-century Babri mosque. They organized a march towards the mosque in an attempt to reclaim the land for a grand temple for Hindu god Rama. This resulted in a pitched battle with the paramilitary forces. In a bid for crowd control, firing by the police with live rounds was ordered by Yadav. At least 16 rioters were killed in the incident. The mosque was razed in 1992 by the Hindu mobs sparking religious violence across the country. Muslims credited Yadav for saving the mosque in 1990 and became the major voting bloc of Samajwadi Party.
The BJP withdrew its support to the V. P. Singh ministry, necessitating fresh elections. The BJP substantially increased its tally in the union parliament, as well as winning a majority in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.
After the collapse of the Union government led by V. P. Singh in November 1990, Yadav joined Chandra Shekhar's Janata Dal (Socialist) party and continued in office as chief minister with the support of the Indian National Congress (INC). His government fell when the INC withdrew its support in April 1991 in the aftermath of developments at the national level where it had earlier withdrawn its support for Chandra Shekhar's government. Mid-term elections to Uttar Pradesh assembly were held in mid-1991, in which Mulayam Singh's party lost power to the BJP.
Second term
In 1992, Yadav founded his own Samajwadi Party (Socialist Party). In 1992, Hindu right wing mob was involved in the demolition of the Babri Mosque, which caused violence across India. In 1993, he allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party for the elections to the Uttar Pradesh assembly due to be held in November 1993. The alliance between Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party prevented the return of BJP to power in the state.
