Congress CMs Gehlot, Baghel to attend Mulayam's funeral in Saifai

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel will represent the Congress at the funeral of Samajwadi Party veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav who passed away on Monday, according to sources. Mulayam passed away at 82 at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on Monday at 8.16 am.

Congress veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge will also take part in the funeral which will take place in Mulayam's native village of Saifai in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district on Tuesday, as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Kharge is contesting the election of the party president, so he will not join as the party's official leader. However, it is not yet clear whether Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, will attend.

Meanwhile, condolences poured in after the demise of the veteran Samajwadi Party leader and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences on the demise of veteran politician and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying his death is an "irreparable loss" to the country.

"The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is an irreparable loss to the country. The achievements of Mulayam Singh Yadav ji, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary. 'Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a down-to-earth veteran leader. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!" the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted. Soon after learning about the demise of the Samajwadi Party founder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recollected his relationship with the veteran leader and tweeted, "Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr Lohia."

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said, "I express my deepest condolences on the demise of former UP CM & veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav. Despite his old age and deteriorating health, he used to attend Lok Sabha sessions regularly. He served the country staying in various imp positions." Mulayam Singh passed away at the age of 82 at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital due to age-related ailments. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital last Sunday after his health deteriorated. He is survived by two sons, Akhilesh and Prateek.

National General Secretary, Samajwadi Party, Ram Gopal Yadav said, "The politics of the country became poor due to the death of Netaji. The way he started politics after his entry into it, the way he brought the common man at the forefront. Those who did not know the route to Lucknow and Delhi were also made MLAs and MPs." Mulayam Singh Yadav had seen Uttar Pradesh go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career and remained almost synonymous with the politics of the state. Fondly called "Netaji", he was well-versed in the politics of the most populous state of India.

Born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, Mulayam Singh rose quickly in politics and became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice; he also served in the Union Ggovernment once as the Defence Minister. He was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP.

His career began when he was elected MLA in 1967 at the age of 28. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. His son Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of the party later and is now its president.