Mulayam Singh Yadav

Mulayam Singh Yadav
Member of Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 2009
Constituency	Mainpuri
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In office 29 August 2003 – 11 May 2007
Preceded by	Mayawati
Succeeded by	Mayawati
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In office 5 December 1993 – 3 June 1995
Preceded by	President's Rule Administered by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, B S N Re
Succeeded by	Mayawati
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In office 5 December 1989 – 24 January 1991
Preceded by	Narayan Dutt Tiwari
Succeeded by	Kalyan Singh
Personal details
Born	(1939-11-22) 22 November 1939 Village Saifai, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Samajwadi Party
Spouse(s)	late Malti Devi, Sadhana Gupta
Relations	Ram Gopal Yadav (brother), Ratan Singh Yadav (brother), Abhay Ram Singh Yadav (brother), Rajpal Singh Yadav (brother), Shivpal Singh Yadav (brother), Kamla Devi Yadav (sister)
Children	Akhilesh Yadav Prateek Yadav
Residence	Saifai, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh
Website	Profile

Mulayam Singh Yadav (born 22 November 1939) is an Indian politician belonging to the Samajwadi Party from Uttar Pradesh. He was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh three times from (1989–1991; 1993–1995; 2003–2007). He also served as Minister of Defense (1996–1998) in the United Front government.

Early life

Mulayam Singh Yadav was born to Murti Devi and Sughar Singh on 22 November 1939 in the village Saifai of Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh in India. His father wanted the son to be a wrestler and his political guru, Natthu Singh, spotted him in a wrestling match at Mainpuri. Impressed by his muscle power Mulayam was rewarded the political pocket of Jaswantnagar by Singh.^{[citation needed]}

He has gained several degrees - a B.A., B.T., and an M.A. in political science - through his education at K.K. College in Etawah, A.K. College in Shikohabad and B.R. College, Agra University.

First elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh in 1967, Yadav went on to serve eight terms there. 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) afterward. In 1982, he was elected leader of the opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and held that post until 1985.

He was groomed by Indian socialist leaders like Raj Narain and Ram Manohar Lohia in his political journey. An ardent follower of Raj Narain who had defeated Indira Gandhi in Lok Sabha elections of 1977 from Raibareli constituency. He was very close to Ram Manohar Lohia, and Chaudhary Charan Singh.^{[citation needed]}

Political career

First term as chief minister

Yadav first became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1989.

After the collapse of the V P Singh government at the centre in November 1990, Yadav joined Chandra Shekhar's Janata Dal (Socialist) party and continued in office as chief minister with the support of the Congress Party. His government fell when the Congress withdrew support to his government in April 1991 in reaction to the aftermath of developments at the center, wherein the Congress party withdrew support to 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 BJP.

Second term as chief minister

In 1992, Yadav founded his own Samajwadi Party (Socialist Party). In 1993, he allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party for the elections to 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. Though the alliance did not win the majority,^{[citation needed]} Yadav became chief minister of Uttar Pradesh with the support of Congress and Janata Dal. His stand on movement for demanding separate statehood for Uttarakhand was as much controversial as his stand on Ayodhya movement in 1990 was. There was a firing on Uttarakhand activists at Muzaffarnagar on 2 October 1994, something for which Uttarakhand activists held him responsible. He continued holding that post until his ally opted into another alliance in June 1995.

As union cabinet minister

In 1996, Yadav was elected to the eleventh Lok Sabha from Mainpuri constituency. In the United Front coalition government formed that year, his party joined and he was named India's Defence Minister. That government fell in 1998 as India went in for fresh elections, but he returned to the Lok Sabha that year from Sambhal parliamentary constituency. After the fall of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the center in April 1999, he did not support the Congress party in the formation of the government in central. He contested Lok Sabha elections of 1999 from two seats, Sambhal and Kannauj, and won from both. He resigned from Kannauj seat for his son Akhilesh in the by-elections.

Third term as chief minister

In 2002, following a fluid post-election situation in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Bahujan Samaj Party joined to form a government under dalit leader Mayawati, considered to be Mulayam's greatest rival^{[citation needed]}. After a one-and-a-half year stint, the BJP pulled out of the government on 25 August 2003, and enough rebel legislators of the Bahujan Samaj Party left to allow Mulayam to become the Chief Minister, with the support of independents and small parties.^{[citation needed]} Mulayam Singh Yadav was sworn in as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the third time in September 2003. It is widely believed that this change was done with the blessings of the BJP, which was also ruling at the Centre then.

In September 2003, when Yadav was sworn in as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yadav was a member of the Lok Sabha. In order to meet the constitutional requirement of becoming the member of state legislature within 6 months of being sworn in, Yadav contested the assembly by-election from Gunnaur assembly seat in January 2004. Yadav won by a record margin and polled almost 92% of the total votes. Yadav's victory margin of 183,899 votes is the highest margin of victory in assembly elections so far.

With the hope of playing a major role at the center, Yadav contested Lok Sabha elections of 2004 from Mainpuri when Yadav was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Yadav won the seat and his party, Samajwadi Party won more seats in Uttar Pradesh than all other parties.^{[citation needed]} However the Congress party, which formed the coalition government at the center after the elections had majority in the Lok Sabha with the support of the communist parties. As a result, Yadav could not play any significant role at the center, Yadav resigned from Lok Sabha and chose to continue as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh until he lost 2007 election when he lost to BSP.

February 2012 UP legislative elections

According to the results declared on 6 March 2012, his party won the complete majority in Uttar Pradesh, receiving 224 seats.

Further reading

• Jaffrelot, Christophe (2003). India's silent revolution: Rise of lower castes in North India. C. Hurst & Co. ISBN 978-1-85065-670-8. 
• Aditi Phadnis (2009). Business Standard Political Profiles: Of Cabals and Kings. Business Standard Books. ISBN 9788190573542. 
• Rao, Ursula (2010). News As Culture: Journalistic Practices and the Remaking of Indian Leadership Tradition. Berghahn Books. ISBN 9781845456696. 
• Brass, Paul R. (1997). Theft of an Idol: Text and Context in the Representation of Collective Violence. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691026503. 
• Ludden, David E., ed. (1996). Contesting the Nation: Religion, Community, and the Politics of Democracy in India. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 9780812215854. 
• Singh, Ram; Yadav, Anshuman (1998). Mulayam Singh: a political biography. Konark Publishers. ISBN 9788122005301. 

External links

• Profile on Samajwadi Party website