After weeks in hospital, Mulayam Singh Yadav, founder of the Samajwadi Party and three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, died this morning. The 82-year-old passed away.
Mulayam Singh’s son Akhilesh Yadav was quoted in the Samajwadi Party as saying: “My respected father has passed away. He was everyone’s beloved Neta-ji.”
During his stay at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, Mulayam Singh had been on life-saving drugs for days. Six weeks from now, he will turn 83.
PM Narendra Modi, one of the first to post a tribute to Mulayam Singh Yadav, wrote, “His death pains me; he was a remarkable individual and widely regarded as a humble, grounded leader.”
The leader was known for his humbleness and grounding, a quality greatly admired by many people.
State mourning will last for three days in the state of Uttar Pradesh, according to Chief Minister Yogi Aditanath.
The final days of Mulayam Singh’s life were filled with many visits from leaders.
Akhilesh’s son has led the party since 2017, and though he has been away from active politics for some time, he remains a prominent opposition force. It was “Neta-ji” who he was called by his son and the Samajwadi Party.
Mulayam Singh served as Union Defense Minister in 1996-98, making him one of the most prominent politicians in Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Modi said Mulayam Singh worked hard to make India stronger during his time as Defence Minister. Prime Minister said he made insightful contributions to Parliament.
After the 2019 national election, Mulayam Singh complimented PM Modi in parliament, expressing a desire to see him return as Prime Minister. The opposition benches were stunned into silence.
Mulayam Singh first became an MLA in 1967, when he was born on November 22, 1939. Like many opposition leaders, Mulayam Singh was jailed during his second term as MLA under the Emergency declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
For a time, Mulayam Singh was seen as a possible Prime Minister candidate. He was elected to the legislature 10 times and the Lok Sabha seven times.
Despite bitter rivalry, Mulayam Singh wasn’t flinching when it came to striking deals, a former wrestler known for his astute politics.
Whenever it was necessary to gain power, he backed Mayawati’s BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), BJP or Congress.
In his long career, he represented a number of parties, including Sanyukt Socialist Party of his mentor Ram Manohar Lohia, Bharatiya Kranti Dal of Charan Singh, Bharatiya Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party. Samajwadi Party was founded in 1992 by him.
The opposition parties briefly considered Mulayam Singh for PM in 1996, when they tried to form an alternative to the Congress.
As his son Akhilesh Yadav became party chief after a coup in 2017, Mulayam Singh watched as his party slipped away from him in recent years.