Mulayam Singh, SM Krishna Awarded Padma Vibhushan; A Look At Their Decades-long Political Journey

Former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka– late Mulayam Singh Yadav and S M Krishna– will be awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, for their decades of works in the public affairs. The Government of India on Wednesday announced the list of Padma awardees 2023.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulations those who have been conferred the Padma Awards. India cherishes their rich and varied contributions to the nation and their efforts to enhance our growth trajectory, he said.

‘Neta-ji’-  Socialist Leader, Grassroots Worker

Socialist leader, grassroots worker, ‘Neta-ji’ to leaders across the political spectrum and a politician synonymous with the rich political history of Uttar Pradesh — Mulayam Singh Yadav breathed his last on October 10, 2022 at the age of 82.

Yadav’s five-decade-long political journey saw several ups and downs, with many allies and disagreements on the way. Born in Saifai village of Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district in an agrarian family in 1939, Yadav wanted to become a wrestler but was interested in academics and eventually became a teacher at a government college. In 1967, he entered the Uttar Pradesh assembly for the first time from Ram Manohar Lohia’s Sanyukt Socialist Party. A day later, he joined Bharatiya Kranti Dal of Chaudhary Charan Singh. However, this party merged with the Sanyukt Socialist Party and the Bharatiya Lok Dal was formed. After the Emergency (1975-1977), the Bharatiya Lok Dal merged with the Janata Dal.

In 1977, he became minister for the first time. He took the charge of Lok Dal state president in 1980 and remained Leader of Opposition in the Council from 1982 to 1987. In 1989, he became Uttar Pradesh chief minister for the first time. He founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992. He served as the chief minister of UP for the second time between 1993-95. In 1996, he contested Lok Sabha polls for the first time from Mainpuri and became Defence Minister.

In 2003, he took oath as UP CM for the third time. After the SP’s loss in 2007 polls, he became Leader of Opposition in the UP state assembly. In 2019, he became an MP (seventh-time) from Mainpuri.

S M Krishna’s Long Journey, from CM to Governor to EAM, Congress to BJP

Born on May 1, 1932, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka from October 1999 to May 2004. A graduate from Maharaja’s College, Mysore, he obtained a law degree from the Government Law College, Bangalore. He also studied at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA and later at George Washington University.

Krishna was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1962 an Independent candidate and made his debut in Parliament in 1968 and later joined Congress. In 1972, he returned to state politics and became a member of the Legislative Council. He was inducted as Minister for Commerce, Industries and Parliamentary Affairs, a charge he held between 1972 and 1977.

In 1980, he returned to Lok Sabha and was made Minister of State for Industry during 1983-84, and Minister of State for Finance during 1984-85. He made his entry to state politics again in 1989 and became the Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1989. Later in 1992, he became Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. In 1999, he took over as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. Krishna took oath as Governor of Maharashtra on December 6, 2004, according to Raj Bhavan Maharashtra.

After being elected to Rajya Sabha in 2009, Krishna was inducted as the External Affairs Minister in the UPA government. In 2012, Krishna stepped down as the Union minister. He campaigned for the Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but the party suffered a humiliating defeat.

After lying low for three years, Krishna joined the BJP in March 2017, ending his nearly 50- year-long association with the Congress. Earlier this month, 90-year-old Krishna announced he is gradually stepping aside from public life and will be retiring from active politics.

Read all the Latest Politics News here