Indian politician Mulayam Singh Yadav dies

LUCKNOW: Mulayam Singh Yadav, a veteran Indian politician and three-time chief minister of the country’s most populous state, died on Monday after over six weeks in hospital, his son said.

Yadav, who was 82, entered politics in his 20s, rising to become chief minister of northern Uttar Pradesh state in 1989.The state sends the highest number of lawmakers to the lower house of parliament and a strong showing in Uttar Pradesh is essential for any party or coalition to win power at the federal level.

Fondly called Netaji, or respected leader, by his supporters, Yadav became Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister for the second time in 1993, a year after a Hindu right-wing mob demolished the 16th century Babri Mosque in the town of Ayodhya, triggering nationwide violence.

He and his Samajwadi Party emerged as advocates for Muslims, who make up a sizeable minority in Uttar Pradesh.Yadav also served as India’s federal defence minister in a coalition government between 1996 and 1998.He was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for a third time from 2003 to 2007.