NEW DELHI: With the demise of its patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party has lost the single unifying force that had kept the ranks and files of the party and the family together except a few rumblings when the feud between his son Akhilesh Yadav and younger brother Shivpal intensified, leading the latter to part ways and float his own outfit. Moreover, with dominant political ambitions, younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav too changed the track and joined the saffron bandwagon just ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections.
Now, Akhilesh has the bigger responsibility of keeping his flock intact while ensuring the restoring party’s pride which it used to enjoy under his father. The demise of ‘Netaji’ has left Yadav exposed to the vagaries of politics with no one around to give fatherly advice when situations will demand.
Life at a glance
The veteran Samajwadi leader was born to Murti Devi and Sughar Singh Yadav on 22 November 1939 in Saifai village, Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh.
He married twice. His first wife was Malti Devi who died in 2003 after a prolonged medical illness. Former Uttar Pradesh CM, Akhilesh Yadav is the only child of Mulayam Singh Yadav from his first wife Malati Devi.
Mulayam in many ways was regarded as a protege of socialist icon Ram Manohar Lohia who played a key role in grooming him
He founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992.
He was elected Member of the Legislative Assembly, Uttar Pradesh 10 times
He was elected member of Lok Sabha on 7 occasions between 1996 and 2019
Netaji served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the terms from 1989 to 1991, 1993 to 1995, and 2003 to 2007.
He also served as Minister of Defence in the Government of India during 1996-98.
He currently represents the Mainpuri constituency in the Lok Sabha.
He is survived by two sons Akhilesh Yadav and Prateek Yadav