Lucknow: He is
diminutive but a never say die fighter, having learnt his skills
as a young wrestler. On Tuesday, Mulayam Singh Yadav, aged 72,
proved why he cannot be vanquished in his home turf.
As his Samajwadi Party triumphed in Uttar Pradesh against all
odds, it was clear the man's favourite wrestling lock, dhobhi
patak, remains intact.
Set to be coronated chief minister of India's most populous
state for a fourth term, there was a time when Mulayam borrowed
a cycle to travel in the countryside where he was born and bred.
Influenced by the teachings of veteran socialist Ram Manohar
Lohia, Mulayam took to politics as a teenager. His indomitable
energy and ability to mix with ordinary folks quickly won him
numerous admirers.
He first took to teaching. But it is politics that made him what
he is today -- a dogged fighter with the sobriquet 'Netaji'.
He was first elected, on a socialist party ticket, to the Uttar
Pradesh assembly in 1967, when the Congress suffered major
reverses in north India at the hands of an aggressive
opposition.
A postgraduate in political science, he was elected to the house
eight times.
As opposition politics underwent convulsions, Mulayam gravitated
from one party to another until founding the Samajwadi Party in
1992.
He became chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1989 but it was all
over in two years. This was when he ordered security forces to
fire at a mob which tried to bring down the Babri mosque,
forever earning the gratitude of the Muslim community. Hindutva
forces quickly dubbed him "Mulla Mulayam".
After the Babri mosque was razed in December 1992, he teamed up
with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to be chief minister again.
The Samajwadi tie-up with BSP was a disaster, and both soon
became sworn enemies.
In 1996, Mulayam became India's defence minister after getting
elected to the Lok Sabha.
He again took charge of Uttar Pradesh from 2003. His party was
routed four years later.
Decades of political work made him a pragmatist, one who shed
many of his old socialist slogans to easily merge with India's
top industrialists and the glitterati.
As he dug deeper into national politics, Amar Singh emerged as
his most trusted lieutenant. It was a relationship that caused
much envy among many of his colleagues who deserted Mulayam.
The relationship finally soured in 2009 when his son Akhilesh
Yadav, now seen as a hero of the Samajwadi sweep in Uttar
Pradesh, blamed Amar Singh for his wife's defeat in the Lok
Sabha election.
Aides recount tales of Mulayam stopping by roadside eateries to
chat with commoners.
"He has no airs, he is very down to earth but does not believe
in hyping it like others," a security officer who has known him
for years told IANS.
Now a member of the Lok Sabha, elected for the fifth time in
2009, Mulayam draws support dominantly from his own Yadav clan
and Muslims.
His political hub is the backward belt of Mainpuri and Etawah,
the former home to a thriving industry in locally-made guns
called 'katta'.
Loyalty means a lot to him.
He has retained his Personal Security Officer Shiv Kumar, his
personal secretary Jagjivan and telephone operator-cum-attendant
Tara Chand for the last three decades.
While he largely remains a socialist at heart, his lifestyle
changed midway. For one who used to sip butter milk bottled in a
thermos flask during flights, he now prefers ginger ale.
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