Who was Mulayam Singh Yadav?
Mulayam Singh Yadav was born in Saifai, a small village in Uttar Pradesh's (UP) Etawah district on 22nd November 1939. He was an Indian politician who died recently at the age of 82. He entered politics in his early twenties and founded the Samajwadi Party (SP).
He was elected as UP’s chief minister three times and served as the country's defence minister from 1996 to 1998. Veteran politicians like Ram Manohar Lohia and Raj Narain mentored him.
When did he become the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh?
During his career, Mulayam Singh Yadav served as chief minister of UP three times from 1989 to 1991, 1993 to 1995, and from 2003 to 2007.
He made a name for himself as a politician who fought for caste-based reservations and launched many welfare schemes. Yadav chose his son, Akhilesh Yadav, as chief minister of UP after the SP won the elections in 2012.
When did Mulayam Singh Yadav form the Samajwadi Party?
The SP was founded in 1992 in Lucknow, UP. Mulayam Singh Yadav founded the party and served as its president for a long time. This party supports equality for all.
The SP's mission is to work for and uplift society's weaker sections. Since 2017, Akhilesh Yadav has served as the party's president, succeeding his father.
How were his last few years in politics?
In 2017, Mulayam Singh Yadav found himself in the middle of a family feud. His son Akhilesh and his brother Shivpal Yadav fought to gain control over the party.
Yadav stepped back from politics as Akhilesh proved his ability to lead the party after succeeding his father as president. He was only seen in public on rare occasions. In the 2017 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated SP.
Yadav had been ill for a long period and died on 10th October 2022. Several prominent leaders from all over the country have expressed condolences on his death.
