Mulayam Singh Yadav is no doubt a powerful leader with much popular support. But his decades-long political career, during the course of which he failed to develop his State, is proof of why he's not fit to lead the country
For a seasoned leader like Mulayam Singh Yadav, it is perfectly legitimate to eye the highest office of the country. After all, why should a tall leader like the Samajwadi Party supremo only play king-maker when he can well be in the race to be king himselfIJ Besides, if the likes of VP Singh, Chandra Shekhar, HD Deve Gowda or even Inder Kumar Gujral — none of them grassroots leaders — could occupy the Prime Minister’s position, Mr Yadav with his mass support base can surely aspire for the top job. So, it comes as no surprise that he is now aiming to win a sizeable number of seats in the 2014 lok Sabha election. (Mr Yadav is working on the premise that he will be a force to be reckoned with, if his party gets 40 to 50 out of the 80 lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.)
In fact, it is keeping exactly this aim in mind that the three-time-Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has now handed over the reins of the State to his son after the Samajwadi Party won the 2012 State Assembly election. Also, Mr Yadav has ensured that his family members are all accommodated in positions of power. Finally, given his dynastic control over the Samajwadi Party organisation, there is no question of him facing challenges from within his party. This provides him with the conducive environment he needs to prepare for the forthcoming lok Sabha election — and Mr Yadav is already taking several steps towards that end.
First, the Samajwadi Party has begun to somewhat distance itself from the UPA regime, after having consistently supported the Congress-led coalition Government at the Centre (even if from outside) for the past nine years. In fact, the party’s support has been crucial for both terms of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA regime, which, for instance, would have definitely collapsed in 2008 when the left withdrew its support from the Government. So, why did this faithful supporter refuse to show solidarity with the regime on its ninth anniversary last monthIJ The answer is simple. Mr Yadav is now placing himself as a challenger to the Congress and, therefore, neither does he want to associate himself with his competitor nor save the tottering Government that it leads.
Second, Mr Yadav is now actively building a coalition with the Brahmins and other high caste communities. It is because of this that his Chief Minister son recently announced at a Brahmin sammelan that, “It is the samaj (society) which will ultimately decide who forms the Government”. The reference here is clearly to the ‘Brahmin Samaj’s’ support to the Samajwadi Party which is essential for an electoral victory. Mr Yadav is well aware that even though he defeated Ms Mayawati of the Bahujan Samajwadi Party in 2012, she can always script a comeback by creating another rainbow coalition that will have her formidable Dalit vote-bank on one end and Brahmins on the other.
Third, Mr Yadav continues to pander to the Muslim constituency, his favourite hunting ground for votes. He has, of course, already surrounded himself with Muslim leaders like Azam Khan and the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, and now wishes to win over Muslim voters by championing the cause of reservations for them in public institutions.
The larger issue, however, is that Mr Yadav does not have any plan for the development of either his State or the country. Today, his son maybe negotiating with foreign investors but that alone cannot lead to development in Uttar Pradesh. The fact is that the State has missed the bus to modernisation and progress, and Mr Yadav cannot say that he is not responsible for it. Ultimately, the fact remains that Mr Yadav does not have what it takes to lead the country.