Veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav passes away at the age of 82

 Veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav passes away at the age of 82

Gurgaon:

Samajwadi Party chief and three-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away this morning. He was 82 years old.

He was considered a major component in opposition politics, although poor health kept him out of the limelight on the national stage for the past few years.

Popularly referred to as "Netaji" by Samajwadi Party supporters and leaders, Mr Yadav had also served as the country's Defense Minister.

The former wrestler made headlines in UP politics in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when protests and agitations over the Mandal Commission set up to identify socially or educationally backward classes in India were at their peak.

Later, Mr Yadav established a reputation for partnering not only with his friends but also with his rivals, his association with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati for a short-lived coalition government in Uttar Pradesh. was the case.

With Mr Yadav emerging as a major political force in UP, Mr. Yadav's capture of power at the center was eventful.

In 1996, he became the Defense Minister in the United Front government. Later, in 1999, after the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre, Mr Yadav decided not to support Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, although he had initially assured her of his party's support.

In 2012, when the Samajwadi Party returned to power in UP, the ailing Mulayam Singh Yadav handed over the baton to his son Akhilesh. However, as the rift grew within the family, he surprised everyone when he expelled Akhilesh from the party in 2016, just before the crucial 2017 assembly elections in UP. Later, the father-son duo came to an agreement, with Akhilesh emerging as the power center of the Samajwadi Party.