Now, Padma Vibhushan: BJP’s iron punch in a Mulayam glove

For years after that, “Mullah Mulayam” remained the BJP’s choice epithet for the SP chief, while the party’s alleged Muslim appeasement was the BJP’s pet campaign plank. Even as recently as the 2022 Assembly polls, the BJP raised the 1990 firing on kar sevaks to target the SP.

However, the modification in the BJP’s stance, especially when it came to Mulayam, has been taking shape for some time – coinciding with the party’s shift to OBC politics in UP, as the fulfilment of the temple promise dried up gains from that front.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when Mulayam declared that it was going to be his last election from Mainpuri, top BJP leaders stayed away from campaigning there. The SP supremo won by a big margin.

One of the first leaders to arrive at the hospital where Mulayam died was Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Uttar Pradesh government accorded full state honours for his cremation. In his tweet condoling Mulayam’s death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about their “close association” when both were CMs, and said he “always looked forward to hearing his views”.

Soon after Mulayam’s death in October last year, RSS functionaries paid tributes to Mulayam at an Akhil Bhartiya Karyakari Mandal meeting in Prayagraj.

Then, during the campaign for the by-election in Mainpuri necessitated by Mulayam’s death, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started his first speech by paying tributes to the SP leader. Besides, he skipped any mention of the Ayodhya issue.

Earlier this week, the BJP state executive meeting held in Lucknow paid tributes to Mulayam.

The BJP has been trying to woo the Yadavs, who comprise the biggest chunk of OBCs in UP and who remain out of its reach, being loyal supporters of the SP. It has named several Yadav leaders, albeit little-known, to the Rajya Sabha and the UP Legislative Council, and inducted some as ministers as well. The BJP earlier also tried to make inroads by playing into the friction between Mulayam’s son and brother, Akhilesh and Shivpal Singh Yadav, respectively.

However, while Shivpal is now back with Akhilesh, the Mainpuri bypoll results showed that the OBCs are still not ready to throw their lot with the BJP, with the SP swinging even the non-Yadav votes.

A BJP functionary said that the Padma Vibhushan, the highest civilian honour of the country, was hence a masterstroke. “It has put Akhilesh Yadav and the Yadav voters in a dilemma. Akhilesh will have to accept the award. To target the BJP on this issue, he can only argue that its government did not give him any award when he was alive, or it can accuse the BJP of dividing the community (of Yadavs). He cannot deny the award.”

SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who was earlier with the BJP, reflected this dilemma Wednesday, calling the Padma Vibhushan “a mockery” and saying what Mulayam deserved was a Bharat Ratna.

SP spokesperson I P Singh argued the same, saying: “Except the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour, no other honour befits the son of the soil, Late Mulayam Singh Yadav,” Singh tweeted.

Shivpal, however, welcomed the award, calling it a recognition of Mulayam’s work. Another SP spokesperson, Rajendra Chaudhary, also thanked the Centre for honouring Mulayam, adding that he didn’t see any politics behind the move.

A BJP leader said the award was a message by the party that, despite what its rivals say about it, it is generous and recognised Mulayam for his contribution to public life. The party expects this to influence Yadav leaders and workers who are not too pleased with Akhilesh’s leadership and his style of working.

“The BJP is trying to take advantage of the groupism within the Yadavs. The groupism and war for dominance have been on since the community became financially strong over the years (compared to other OBC groups),” said a BJP leader.

BJP UP secretary Chandra Mohan said, “Mulayam Singh Yadav’s political priorities were different from the BJP and hence the BJP always raised questions over his political decisions. But his contribution towards socialism and his work for the welfare of the poor, backwards and farmers are worth recognition, and hence the decision to honour him with the award is welcome.”

Besides, BJP sources said, the invocation of the 1990 firing had lost its sting since Akhilesh took over as the SP chief. A BJP leader pointed out: “Since 2012, the BJP has targeted only one SP leader by name, and that is Akhilesh. But everyone knows that Akhilesh was not in politics during the Ram temple movement and when the firing was ordered on the kar sevaks. So, targeting the SP on Ayodhya after Mulayam’s death was not going to benefit.”

To other BJP leaders, one particular speech of Mulayam was another reason for letting bygones be bygones. Addressing the Lok Sabha just before the 2019 general elections, as Modi looked on, Mulayam had said: “PM Modi has managed the Parliament really well… I wish Pradhan Mantriji becomes Pradhan Mantri once again.”

However, not all may be a thing of the past. Just a day before the Centre announced the Padma Vibhushan for Mulayam, senior BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, addressing a party meeting, accused the SP of “Muslim appeasement”. One of his arguments was the firing by the Mulayam-led SP government on the kar sevaks in Ayodhya.