Vital Facts
Born : November 22, 1939, Saifai, Etawah district
Death: October 10, 2022, Medanta Hospital, Gurugram
Parents: Sughar Singh, Murti Devi
Founder: Samajwadi Party (1992)
3-time chief minister (1989–91, 1993–95, and 2003–07)
10-time MLA
7-time MP
Life at a glance
1963 | A practising wrestling of acclaim in Etawah, Mulayam started his career as a teacher in Jain Inter College, Karhal in Mainpuri. Used to teach Hindi and Social Science.
1967 | Commenced his career as lawmaker by winning his first assembly poll as a Samyukta Socialst Party candidate from Jaswantnagar in Mainpuri. Elected from Jaswantnagar seat six more times till 1993, as candidate from different parties each time -- 1974 (Bharatiya Kisan Dal), 1977 (Bharatiya Lok Dal), 1985 (Lok Dal), 1989 (Janata Dal), 1991 (Samajwadi Janta Party), 1993 (Samajwadi Party).
1977 | MSY appointed state president of Lok Dal.
1980 | Takes over as president of the Janata Dal.
1980 | Lost his only major election to Congress’s Balram Yadav from Jaswantnagar assembly seat
1982 | Goes to Vidhan Parishad; serves as the leader of the opposition.
1985 | Bounces back to victory in Jaswantnagar assembly seat; Leads Opposition in Assembly.
1989 | Assumes charge of UP Chief Minister for the first time heading Janata Dal government with BJP's support.
1990 | BJP withdraws support. Congress pitches in to support state government which lasts for one more year. Orders firing on kar sevaks preventing them from conducting kar seva at disputed structure in Ayodhya. Over 50 killed leading Mulayam to be known as ‘Mullah Mulayam' as Muslim gravitate towards SP after MSY’s famous resolve not to let ‘even a bird fly around disputed structure in Ayodhya' (parinda bhi par nahi maar sakta hai).
1992 | Forms his own political party and names it as Samajwadi Party; Babri Masjid is demolished on December 6.
1993 | Mulayam strikes first alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and forms a SP-BSP coalition govt; Takes over as UP CM for the second time.
1995 | BSP withdraws from coalition government after manhandling of BSP leader Mayawati who was held hostage by SP workers at Lucknow's state guest house. Mayawati takes over as the first SC woman CM of the state with BJP's support. An era of bitter SP-BSP rivalry begins.
1996 | Mulayam starts his innings in Lok Sabha by becoming MP for the first time from Mainpuri. Traces his chances to become PM, but settles for the portfolio of defence helming the ministry for next two years. Elected from Mainpuri Lok Sabha seats in 1998. Moves to Sambhal in western UP and Kannauj adjoining Etawah in 1999 winning both the seats. Wins from Mainpuri in 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 as well. In 2014, wins from Azamgarh as well. Leaves Mainpuri which was won by grand nephew Tej Pratap in the bypoll.
2003 | Mulayam stitches another alliance with breakaway faction of BSP, a Congress splinter group and some smaller outfits to replace BSP-BJP govt which fell. Takes over as the CM for the third time completing the remaining full term till 2007.
2004 | SP registers biggest-ever tally of seats in Lok Sabha elections winning 36 of 80.
2007 | SP loses Assembly election as Mayawati-led BSP wins absolute majority for the first time in the state since 1991. Mulayam serves as the leader of opposition till 2009.
2009 | Elected again to Lok Sabha from Mainpuri.
2012 | SP returns to power with 224 seats. Mulayam declares son Akhilesh Yadav as next CM assuming role of party patriarch.
2014 | SP wins just five seats in UP reducing to its worst tally. Only Yadav family members make it to Lok Sabha as MPs. With Mulayam in Azamgarh and Mainpuri, daughter-in-law Dimple in Kannauj, and nephews Dharmendra and Akshay in Badaun and Firozabad respectively.
2016 | SP’s first family engages in intense and bitter battle of oneupmanship with MSY’s son Akhilesh and brother Shival lock horns. Mulayam plays neutral initially but eventually sides with the son
2017 | Mulayam is deposed by son Akhilesh who takes over as the SP president.
2017 | Akhilesh cobbles a pre-poll pact with Congress despite Mulayam's opposition. SP faces worst-ever drubbing in the assembly elections. BJP, allies come to power with mammoth mandate winning 325 seats.
2019 | To take on the might of saffron brigade, SP and BSP bury hatchets stitching a grand alliance but SP fails to improve its tally.
2022 | Out of five seats SP won in 2019 LS poll, it loses two -- Rampur and Azamgarh-- in the bypolls.
VIEW PHOTOS | RIP Mulayam Singh Yadav: A life in pictures