RIP Sharad Yadav – Very easy going, but will be remembered as a leader with equal attitude

If a journalist makes a list of the 5 most easily available ministers in the span of 25 years, then Sharad Yadav’s name will definitely be in it. Used to meet very easily. He used to tell the news with the same ease. An incident of Air India flight IC-814 that was high jacked from Kathmandu comes to mind. The same plane High Jack, which the hijackers had taken to Kandahar. The hostage passengers returned to Delhi on 31 December. At that time he was the Minister of Civil Aviation Department. Many journalists including me had reached the airport. There was a heavy police system there. The Delhi Police Commissioner himself had handled the front. Journalists were not being allowed inside. Requested the commissioner to ask the minister, if called, he will tell us, otherwise we will leave. As soon as the commissioner told, Sharad ji himself, unable to remember the room or the lounge, came to his gate and called him by pointing. At that time, whoever we were together, there were no senior journalists to be called.

Mentioned this incident for the reason that even at that time the ministers used to give information only to the journalists of newspapers called national and English widely circulated in Delhi. Once a connection is made it is maintained forever. Whenever there was an event, he used to call along with sending invitations. Now it seems that this spontaneity must have been the key to his long struggle and then success. Rest of the necessary political tact is mandatory. He also knew that the kind of political stream he is representing can be successful in where and in which states. That’s why he made his land in Madhya Pradesh, leaving Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. At first sight, it also seems that Lalu Prasad Yadav was dominant in Bihar, Sharad Yadav went there to take advantage of it. But while thinking like this, it should also be kept in mind that Sharad Yadav had defeated Lalu Prasad Yadav in Madhepura Loksabha elections.

Yes, it is definitely a fact that Sharad Yadav had a very important role in making Lalu Prasad Yadav the Chief Minister. After Mandal became the messiah, Vishwanath Pratap Singh wanted to make someone else the chief minister. It was Sharad Yadav who created such a role through which Lalu Yadav could become the Chief Minister of Bihar. The matter did not end here, but when the Bihar government fell after LK Advani’s Rath Yatra, he helped Lalu Prasad Yadav to save the government at that time too.

Political journey started from Jabalpur
Sharad Yadav started with student politics in Jabalpur. Although it is also interesting that he himself was an engineering student. That too talented. Gold medal was also achieved. Misa also went to jail under the law. At the same time, Jaiprakash Narayan’s eye fell on him and he made him a candidate in the 1974 Jabalpur Lok Sabha by-election as a common candidate of the opposition. This seat was vacated by the demise of veteran Congress leader of that era, Seth Govind Das. Congress was continuously winning this seat since independence. JP gave voice and Sharad Yadav defeated Seth Govind Das’s son Ravimohan Das in the by-election.

Challenge to Indira Gandhi
Defeat of his candidate in the by-election from Jabalpur and at that time going against his JP Indira Gandhi was shocked by the victory of K’s candidate. While the victory of the common candidate Jai Prakash Narayan had considered the success of his experiment. It is also said that later Janata Party was formed from this experiment. However, within a year itself, he resigned from jail in protest against the arbitrarily extension of the term of the Lok Sabha. Then he won the next election in 1977 from Jabalpur itself.

Again competing with Rajiv Gandhi
After this, Charan Singh removed Sharad Yadav from Amethi seat. After the death of brother Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi was fighting from here as a Congress candidate in the by-election. Chaudhary sahab believed that if Rajiv Gandhi loses, then Indira Gandhi can be given a big blow. However, Sharad Yadav could not win this election. After this Sharad Yadav reached the Lok Sabha from Badayun in 1989 and was made a minister in Vishwanath Pratap Singh’s government.

Contested elections and also ran the organization
Sharad Yadav continued to be active in the organization with the government. The organizational journey that started from the late 70s as the national president of the Yuva Lok Dal continued as the president of the Janata Dal Parliamentary Board, the working president of the Janata Dal, the president of the Janata Dal and then the president of the United Janata Dal. That is, unlike many other leaders, apart from seeing the work of the organization, he also went among the public and contested elections. This was rarely happening even in those days. The leaders running the organization shied away from contesting elections. Although Sharad Yadav was also elected to the Rajya Sabha three times at different times.

did politics, not hate
Born on 1 July 1947 in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, just a month before the country’s independence, Sharad Yadav learned politics from Jai Prakash Narayan. He was also influenced by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. This is the reason why there were leaders who liked him in every party. If the Janata Dal is seen as a whole, then all the non-Congress leaders were associated with it at one time or the other. Everyone used to respect Sharad Yadav. It was Sharad Yadav’s political tact that he did not have any problem in fighting against Lalu. Even after losing, Lalu Prasad Yadav used to respect him a lot. Nitish Kumar also kept respecting him in the same way. Both gave him the support of their parties for the Rajya Sabha.

Sharad Yadav’s political journey lasted for half a century. During this he was elected Member of Parliament 10 times. Seven times for the Lok Sabha and three times for the Rajya Sabha. Not only by making any one constituency his own, but this leader of Madhya Pradesh not only won the election from there, he also registered victory in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The names of very few leaders who have successfully represented three different states in the Lok Sabha come to mind.

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