The Samajwadi Party has seen many highs and lows since its formation. But the family feud has landed it into an existential crisis
The Samajwadi Party has seen many highs and lows in its 25 years of existence. It is now facing its worst existential crisis. The party is what one could call a one-man party — that of Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav — who has been in politics for the past five decades. A staunch lohiaite, he was a three-time MlA before he became a Minister in the Janata Government in 1977. He became an MlC when he lost in 1980 and has been the Chief Minister thrice. He is now in his fifth term as an MP.
The Samajwadi Party’s political journey has been strewn with broken relationships, opportunistic politics and now, bitter family feud. He became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1989 and after the collapse of the VP Singh Government in 1990, continued with Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. After the fall of the Chandra Shekhar Government, the Samajwadi Party Government too fell in 1991. When mid-term election came, Mulayam Singh Yadav lost to the BJP.
The senior Yadav was associated with several parties, including the Janata Party, the Rashtriya lok Dal and the Janata Dal, before forming his own party in 1992. He aligned with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1993, thereby preventing the BJP’s rise and became the Chief Minister. He continued until his ally opted for another alliance in June 1995.
Mulayam Singh Yadav shifted to national politics when he became an MP in 1996. He aspired to become the Prime Minister of the United Front but was disappointed when HD Deve Gowda was chosen. He became the Defence Minister for the next two years. Then he came back to the lok Sabha in 1999 and later became the Chief Minister for the third time after the BSP-BJP Government fell in 2003.
With the hope of playing a major role at the Centre, Mulayam singh Yadav won the 2004 lok Sabha elections from Mainpuri even as his party performed splendidly. However, since the Congress-led UPA Government had a majority, Mulayam Singh Yadav could not play any significant role at the Centre. So he continued as the Chief Minister until the 2007 election.
Two years later, Mulayam Singh Yadav started grooming his son Akhilesh Yadav who was by then an MP. By the 2012 Assembly polls, Akhilesh Yadav established himself as a youth leader and Mulayam Yadav handed over the reins of the Government to him. The dynasty was installed smoothly.
Mulayam Singh Yadav’s rise in politics was due to two things. First, he piped Ajit Singh to the post of the Chief Minister in 1989. Second, the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. After the demolition, Mulayam Yadav emerged as “Maulana Mulayam” who was worshipped by the Muslims. The Mandal and Kamandal politics of the 1990s helped him grow.
Henceforth, Mulayam Yadav started making a mark in national politics. Had the Samajwadi Party supported Congress president Sonia Gandhi, she would have become the Prime Minister in 1999.
In 2002, he supported BJP nominee Abdul Kalam after re-assuring the non-BJP associates that he was supporting KR Narayanan again. Another turnaround was the abandonment of the People’s Front and left parties which stunned his allies. In 2012, Mulayam Yadav ditched West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by supporting Congress nominee Pranab Mukherjee. In the 2015 Bihar poll, he ditched the RJD-JD(U) Congress combine by dissociating himself from the grouping.
First, Mulayam Yadav made many mistakes. After 1996, his reliance on Amar Singh made many leaders like Raj Babbar, Beni Prasad Verma and Azam Khan feel sidelined. Amar Singh was expelled, but has been brought back.
He brought Kalyan Singh into the party which cost him the Muslim votes in 2009. He dumped him.
Third, he did not give a free-hand to Akhilesh Yadav. It is said that the Government in Uttar Pradesh is run by four and half leaders, the half being Akhilesh Yadav. Fourth, he failed in his expansion plans. The party has put candidates in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other places in the past with marginal success. Mulayam singh Yadav is now facing bitter family feud. With the 2017 poll approaching, there is a struggle for power and ticket distribution. The downward trend of the party will be complete if the family feud is not sorted
(The writer is a political commentator and a syndicated columnist)