Mulayam Singh Yadav no more: When MSY roadblocked Sonia Gandhi's PM bid in 1998 citing her 'foreign origin'

Samajwadi Party supremo and three-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was born in a farming family and went on to spawn the state's most prominent political clan, died on Monday after prolonged illness. He was 82. 

Born on November 22, 1939 into a farming family in Saifai near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav spawned the state's most prominent political clan. Yadav served as defence minister from 1996 to 1998, and chief minister thrice in 1989-91, 1993-95, and 2003-07. 

The SP supremo was elected an MLA 10 times and an MP, mostly from Mainpuri and Azamgarh, seven times. For decades, he enjoyed the stature of a national leader but Uttar Pradesh largely remained the ‘akhara’ where Yadav played out his politics, beginning as a teenager who was influenced by socialist leader Lohia.

In 1996, Mulayam became MP for the first time from Mainpuri. He was close to becoming the prime minister, but had to settle for the defence minister’s post for two years. Yadav was re-elected from Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat in 1998 and won both the seats. He won from Mainpuri in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 as well. 

A highlight of Yadav’s political career is the instance when he stopped Sonia Gandhi from becoming the prime minister after the collapse of Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 1998. Banking on Yadav’s support, Sonia had claimed to have the support of 272 MPs, but Mulayam backed out, citing her ‘foreign origin’. 

During his second term as MLA from the same constituency, Indira Gandhi declared Emergency and Yadav was sent to jail, like many opposition leaders.

Back in the ring after the 1975-77 Emergency, Yadav became the state president of the Lok Dal. When the party split, he headed one faction of the state unit.

Yadav was leader of Opposition in the UP Legislative Council and then in the state assembly, before becoming the chief minister in 1989 with the BJP extending outside support to his Janata Dal government.

When the saffron party withdrew support over the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue in 1990, the Congress kept his government afloat for some months.

The BJP still rakes up the 1990 episode when police opened fire at kar sevaks heading towards Ayodhya's Babri Masjid, which they wanted demolished. In the 1990s, he was among the key leaders who took on the BJP's ‘kamandal' politics.

Kar sevaks razed the 16th century mosque in December 1992, the same year Yadav founded the SP, which began to be seen as an ally of the Muslim community. In November 1993, Yadav again headed a government in UP, supported by the BSP. It collapsed when the ally pulled the rug.