Highlights
- Congress was about to withdraw support to Mulayam government in 1991
- Somebody informed Mulayam, so much information was enough
- Mulayam reached Raj Bhavan the next morning, resigned
- Congress’s every bet was lost, Mulayam had played the game
New Delhi
Timing is very important in politics. The trick is lakhs of right, but if the timing is not right then it doesn’t matter. A similar mistake was made with the Congress in 1991 regarding UP. The decision she had taken at that time was strategically correct but she kept waiting for the day to ‘move’. Mulayam Singh Yadav reached Raj Bhavan early in the morning and submitted his government’s resignation and became caretaker Chief Minister and the Congress ‘trick’ was left behind. How that decision of Congress leaked is also a puzzle. It is said that a big Congress leader of that time woke up Mulayam Singh Yadav late in the night and ‘leaked’ the news that tomorrow your government will be toppled. So much information was enough for Mulayam Singh Yadav.
‘Hello, is the governor sleeping?’
In Delhi, the big leaders of Congress after taking the decision went to sleep in their respective bungalows because they felt that whatever will happen now, will happen the next day only. But in Lucknow, Mulayam Singh Yadav woke up all the ministers sleeping in their bungalows and took approval of the proposal from the ‘By Circulation’ cabinet that the council of ministers dissolve the assembly and recommend a new assembly election. After this, he called the leaders of his ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ to his house and decided that the Raj Bhavan should be started as soon as possible and the Congress camp should not be aware of it.
When Mulayam Singh told PM Vajpayee, ‘Dr. Make Kalam the President of the country.
Mulayam Singh Yadav made sure that the Governor was awake or sleeping by calling the Raj Bhavan. When he was told that he was sleeping now, he tried to find out through his officers when he was asleep and when and whose last call came? On the basis of his sleeping time and incoming call details from outside, Mulayam Singh Yadav was convinced that the governor was not aware of any activity in Delhi regarding his government. At that time B Satyanarayana Reddy was the Governor of UP.
then the governor was woken up
Mulayam Singh Yadav was in no mood to wait any longer, though he seemed to agree to the advice of his cabinet colleagues that let the dawn break. After this the Raj Bhavan phone was called again. But when Mulayam Singh Yadav got to hear that His Majesty was still sleeping, then his patience got answered. He instructed the officers in a stern tone that the officers of Raj Bhavan should be told that the Chief Minister wanted to meet with his cabinet for urgent work right now. Raj Bhavan officials woke up the Governor and informed him about the calls coming from the Chief Minister’s residence. The governor was also surprised that such an emergency has happened? He asked his staff to inform Mulayam Singh Yadav that he can come anytime. Mulayam Singh Yadav arrived with senior colleagues of his government and submitted the resignation of his government. Accepting his resignation, the Governor ordered him to remain the caretaker Chief Minister till further arrangements.
When Kalyan Singh’s chair was snatched, Atal Bihari Vajpayee sat on fast
Had the Congress announced withdrawal of support to the Mulayam government before Mulayam Singh Yadav resigned, that government would have been reduced to a minority. In such a situation the government would have been dismissed. After the dismissal, President’s rule would have been imposed. The strategy of the Congress was that it would announce withdrawal of support from the Mulayam government, the government would fall and there would be President’s rule in the state for the next six months. President’s rule in the state before the mid-term elections would have been more suitable for him. But she kept waiting for the next day to carry out the decision taken at night. Mulayam Singh Yadav did not allow the next day to come for him.
When Mayawati stood in front of Raja Bhaiya… and BJP fought to make Mulayam the CM, forgetting the bitter memories
Why did this situation arise?
In fact, in 1989, the Congress was out of power at the Center as well as in UP. The Janata Dal government was formed at the center under the leadership of VP Singh and in UP under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Within a year, VP Singh’s government fell, as well as the Janata Dal was also broken. At the center, Chandrashekhar became the Prime Minister with the support of the Congress. Here in UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav also left VP Singh’s side and joined Chandrashekhar. The Congress had saved the Mulayam Singh Yadav government from falling in UP as well. At that time Congress had 94 MLAs in the assembly but Chandrashekhar’s government could last only four months that he clashed with Congress and he resigned.
Here the Congress was in a dilemma whether to continue supporting the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in UP or to bring down the government by withdrawing support? Most of the party leaders were of the opinion that the Mulayam Singh Yadav government was supported via Chandrashekhar and now that the relationship with Chandrashekhar is over, there will be no political gains in continuing support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav government. Congress was looking at the scope of its return in UP. For this reason, in a meeting held at the house of the Congress high command one night, it was decided to withdraw support to the Mulayam government. But it was too late to implement it.
