“Mere adarniya pitaji aur sabke netaji nahi rahe – Akhilesh Yadav,” (My respected father and everyone’s leader is no more – Shri Akhilesh Yadav) the SP tweeted from its Twitter handle, announcing the death of Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The 82-year-old former defence minister was admitted to a hospital since August and was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Gurugram-based Medanta Hospital on 2 October.
Here is a timeline of the life and career of Mulayam Singh Yadav
1939: Born in Saifai village of Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh.
1967: Entered Uttar Pradesh assembly for the first time from Ram Manohar Lohia’s Sanyukt Socialist Party.
1968: Joined Bharatiya Kranti Dal of Chaudhary Charan Singh. This party merged with Sanyukt Socialist party and Bharatiya Lok Dal was formed. After emergency (1975-1977) Bharatiya Lok Dal merged with Janata Dal.
1977: Becomes minister for the first time.
1982-1987: Becomes Member of Legislative Council and Leader of Opposition in the Council.
1996: Contests Lok Sabha polls for the first time from Mainpuri, UP, and becomes Defence minister.
1998: Becomes Lok Sabha member again from Sambhal, UP.
1999: Becomes an MP again from Sambhal.
1980: Becomes Lokdal state President.
1985-87: Becomes state president of Janata Dal.
1989-1991: Becomes Uttar Pradesh CM first time.
1992: Forms Samajwadi Party.
1993-95: Becomes UP CM second time.
2003: Became UP CM third time.
2003: Death of wife Malti Devi, marries Sadhna Gupta.
2004: Becomes MP from Mainpuri.
2007: Becomes Leader of Opposition in the UP-state assembly.
2009: Becomes MP from Mainpuri.
2014: Becomes MP from Azamgarh and Mainpuri, resigns from Mainpuri.
2019: Becomes MP (seventh time) from Mainpuri.
2022: Dies at Gurugram’s Medanta Hospital.
For party workers, even when Yadav was no longer the SP president – the mantle passed on to his son Akhilesh Yadav in 2017 – the patriarch remained Netaji, the leader. And his presence on the scene provided the glue that held the Yadav clan together, at least to a degree.
In the final years of his life, the ailing patriarch played a diminishing role in the affairs of the party that he had founded.
Condolence messages started to pour in as soon as the news broke of the veteran politician’s death.
“‘Dharti Putra’ Mulayam ji was a veteran leader and was connected with the land. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!” President of India Draupadi Murmu tweeted in Hindi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s demise in a series of tweets.
“Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people’s problems,” Modi said.
“Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency,” the prime minister added.
As defence minister, Yadav worked for a stronger India and his parliamentary interventions were insightful, Modi said. Yadav emphasised on furthering national interest, the prime minister added.
“I had many interactions with Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji when we served as Chief Ministers of our respective states. The close association continued, and I always looked forward to hearing his views,” Modi said.
“His demise pains me. Condolences to his family and lakhs of supporters. Om Shanti,” he said.
The Congress on Monday condoled Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s demise, and said his passing away was an irreparable loss to Indian politics.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Yadav’s unparalleled contribution to Indian politics as defence minister and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh will always be remembered.
“My deepest condolences to Akhilesh Yadav and all other loved ones,” she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Yadav was a stalwart Lohiaite but had admirers across political spectrum.
“His tenures as CM of UP were very consequential. He played a key national role on 2 occasions: Deve Gowda & Gujral govts as Defence Min, & in 2002 when he proposed APJ Abdul Kalam for President,” Ramesh said in a tweet.
The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, said, “The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, the patron of Samajwadi Party, former Defense Minister of the country and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is an irreparable loss to Indian politics.”
Senior Congress leader and party’s presidential polls contender Shashi Tharoor offered condolences to Akhilesh Yadav on the passing away of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.
“I had met the former DefenceMinister at the @UN & subsequently exchanged thoughts with him at the LokSabha. A political giant has passed. A great loss to all Indians. OM Shanti,” Tharoor tweeted.
Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPIM) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in a tweet said, “The champion of the interests of the marginalised and backward, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav ji steadfastly fought against religious bigotry at a crucial time for India, upholding the unity and integrity of India. Deepest condolences.”
