Sharad Yadav: ‘Had the Janata parivar stayed together, Mulayam Singh Yadav would have definitely become PM’

I spent 50 years with Netaji (Mulayam). There is not one Uttar Pradesh village or kasba (town) that he did not visit. He hardly slept and relentlessly led various struggles. The workers of the party were his family. Uttar Pradesh would have been divided had Mulayam Singh Yadav not been there. He stood like a rock and prevented the division of the state, which was his biggest achievement. Woh zameen ke aadmi the, dharti ke aadmi the ( He was a man of the soil). He straddled Uttar Pradesh and Delhi politics effortlessly. There was a period when he dominated politics at the national stage like no one else. At the same time, there was no one of his stature in the state. He was a mass leader in the truest sense.

Can you recount some personal anecdotes?

He ensured that I became a Rajya Sabha MP (in 1986) after I lost the Lok Sabha polls (in 1980) as a candidate from Jabalpur. There was a time when many encounters took place when V P Singh was the Chief Minister (of Uttar Pradesh). He mounted strong protests against the killings. George Fernandes and I were deputed by (former Prime Minister) Chaudhary Charan Singh to tour the entire state and stand with the victims. In retaliation, a political conspiracy was hatched to harm Mulayamji. We stood with him. But his stature and courage was such that no one had the guts to touch him. He was extremely brave… If there is anyone who made my career, it is Mulayam Singh Yadav. He revived my career by nominating me to the Rajya Sabha (from Uttar Pradesh) despite me losing the Lok Sabha polls.

Did you ever drift apart from him? It is said that you and Lalu Prasad prevented him from becoming the prime minister (in 1996, at the head of a United Front government)…

These are false accusations. And these things have no value. No one could have stopped such a thing (Mulayam’s possible elevation to the PM’s chair) from happening.

What if the Janata parivaar had stayed together?

Had the Janata parivar stayed together, he would have definitely become the Prime Minister. He was not happy with the split in the Janata family. He made efforts to bring people together, but that did not happen.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad, and you represented a tradition of socialist politics in the country. Will the new generation be able to rise to that stature?

Both Akhilesh (Yadav) and Tejashwi (Yadav) have shown their capabilities. The Samajwadi Party is the largest Opposition in Uttar Pradesh, while the RJD is the largest party in Bihar. They have taken charge. They are good leaders and will leave no stone unturned to ensure the growth of their parties. Akhilesh will take forward the legacy of his father. Tejashwi will also steer the RJD with able hands.