Patna19 minutes agoAuthor: Shambhu Nath
Senior socialist leader and former Union Minister Sharad Yadav is no more. He breathed his last at a hospital in Gurugram late on Thursday evening. There is a wave of mourning in Bihar after his death. Sharad Yad may have been born in Madhya Pradesh, but Bihar was his workplace. He made a different stature and place for himself in the politics of Bihar.
This is the reason why he is also called Bhishma Pitamah of Bihar politics. It was Sharad Yadav’s acceptance that despite being from Madhya Pradesh, he had defeated Lalu Yadav in Bihar when his popularity was at its peak.
That was in the year 1999. There was a split in the Janata Dal. One faction was headed by HD Deve Gowda (Janata Dal Secular) and the other faction Janata Dal (United) was commanded by Sharad Yadav. The first Lok Sabha elections were held under his leadership.
He decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Madhepura in Bihar. In front of him was Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was once his close friend and had gained popularity in Bihar politics. Sharad Yadav fought the election with his political skills. The results surprised everyone.
MP’s boy had defeated Bihar’s son in the election field. After this, the stature of Sharad Yadav went on increasing in Bihar. Sharad Yadav was elected MP from Madhepura four times.
Sharad Yadav had played an important role in making Lalu Yadav the CM.
After defeating Lalu, he had to defeat a youth like Pappu Yadav.
Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency from where Sharad Yadav defeated veteran like Lalu Yadav, he also had to face defeat from a young and novice leader like Pappu Yadav from the same seat. In the year 2014, when there was a wave of Narendra Modi in the country, Sharad Yadav was in the fray from Madhepura as the National President of JDU.
In front of him was Pappu Yadav, a young face from RJD. Pappu Yadav defeated him in this election. Sharad Yadav contested his last Lok Sabha election from Madhepura on RJD ticket. In this last Lok Sabha election, he had to face defeat from JDU leader Dinesh Chandra Yadav.
Along with Lalu, Nitish also played an important role in making CM.
Sharad Yadav was left not only because of Bihar. Rather, he also played a big role in preparing a new political plant in Bihar. Wherever he lived, he remained at the center of power. Shivanand Tiwari, who did politics with him, says that Sharad Yadav played the biggest role in making Lalu Prasad Yadav the CM.
It is about 1990. BP Singh’s government at the center had fallen. A new government was to be formed in Bihar. Ramsunder Das was leading the race. Raghunath Jha was also in the fray. In such a situation, Sharad Yadav, who was included in the central team, agreed on the name of Lalu Yadav and Lalu Yadav was made the Chief Minister.
Similarly, in the 2005 assembly elections, Sharad Yadav played a leading role in making the NDA win from alliance to seat sharing and electoral diplomacy as the convenor of NDA. After this victory, Nitish Kumar was crowned CM.
Sharad Yadav was always in favor of keeping all the factions of the Janata Party together and united.
When he became a power center in Bihar, he was also evicted from his party.
Sharad Yadav, who was playing an important role in the Janata Dal, was then working for the party in UP. In 1991, he was sent to Bihar on behalf of the party. He contested from Madhepura here. After this he never went back from Bihar. Completely engrossed in the politics of Bihar.
In 2003, Samata Party led by George Fernandes merged with JDU led by Sharad Yadav. Elected as the tallest leader in the party. His party came to power in 2005. After this his stature went on increasing. But by 2015, the distance between Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav started increasing.
The situation has become such that Sharad Yadav’s Nitish and the JDU which he formed was left out. In 2018, he formed his own party Loktantrik Janata Dal. But were not successful. In 2019, he returned to RJD. Contested election from Madhepura but lost. After this, he started getting sick continuously.
Sharad Yadav is also considered to have played an important role in taking Nitish Kumar to the pinnacle of power.
Last time came to Bihar in September last year
Sharad Yadav last returned to Bihar on 21 September 2022. Then he came to Patna after about 3 years. Here he met Bihar’s Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and other leaders.
Then he had said that the request and love of the workers brought him to Bihar. During this his son Shantanu Yadav was also with him. Although he did not go to any party office. Stayed in a hotel only and returned from here.
Fought elections from jail at the age of 25, won by more than one lakh votes
Sharad Yadav contested elections for the first time at the age of 25 and won in his very first election. The year was 1974. It was decided by the government to increase the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam in MP. Sharad Yadav was opposing it.
Because of this he was sent to jail. In jail, he met JP’s best friend Dharmadhikari. At the same time, on the advice of Thesh Dharmadhikari, JP made Sharad Yadav a candidate from the Jabalpur seat, after the demise of Madhya Pradesh Congress leader and Jabalpur MP Seth Govind Das.
Sharad Yadav reached the Parliament after winning the election from this Congress stronghold seat by more than one lakh votes.
After this he never looked back in the world of politics. Sharad Yadav was elected Loksabha member for about 7 times and Rajya Sabha member for 4 times from MP, UP and Bihar.
Sharad Yadav had come to Patna for the last time in September last year.
Political journey of Sharad Yadav
1974 Elected with all-party support in the 5th Lok Sabha by-election, resigned when Emergency was imposed
1977 – Elected from the Janata Party in the sixth Lok Sabha (second term)
1978 – Elected General Secretary – Lok Dal, President – Youth Lok Dal
1986 – Elected to Rajya Sabha 1989 – Elected to Ninth Lok Sabha (3rd term)
1989-97 General Secretary – Janata Dal, became President of Janata Dal Parliamentary Board
1989-90 Union Cabinet Minister – Textiles and Food Processing Industries
1991 – Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (4th term); been a member of the Public Accounts Committee
1993 – Leader, Janata Dal became parliamentary party
1995 – Became the working president, Janata Dal
1996-Elected to 11th Lok Sabha; became chairman of the finance committee
1997- Became the President of Janata Dal
1999- Elected to 13th Lok Sabha: Defeated Lalu Prasad
13 October 1999 – 31 August 2001, became the Union Cabinet Minister (Civil Affairs)
September 1, 2001 – June 30, 2002 Union Cabinet Labor Minister
1 July 2002 – 15 May 2004 Union Cabinet Minister (Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution)
2004 – Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (2nd term) : Member of Business Advisory Committee, Water Resources Committee, General Purposes Committee, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs
2009-15 Elected to the Lok Sabha (7th term) 31 August 2009 – Chairman of the Urban Development Committee
2014- Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (3rd term)
2018 – Formation of Democratic Janata Dal, National President 2019 – Joined Rashtriya Janata Dal and became a candidate for Loksabha election from Madhepura
2022 – Democratic Janata Dal duly merged with RJD
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