India
While Mulayam Singh Yadav has never been harsh on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his discomfiture with the idea of Sonia Gandhi's leadership dates back in history to April 1999
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party patron and Lok Sabha MP Mulayam Singh Yadav said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that he wished that Narendra Modi once again became the Prime Minister of the country.
Pointing towards his own party and the rest of the opposition, Yadav said, “We cannot bring this much majority, so you (Narendra Modi) will again become the Prime Minister of the country.”
Yadav said, “We want to congratulate the Prime Minister. You have worked with the spirit of cooperation with everybody. It is true, whenever we asked for something, you gave an order to that effect immediately. We respect you for this.”
Mulayam said further, “I want to say I wish all the Members (of this House) be elected again. I want to say if we cannot bring such a majority, then you (Modi) must become the prime minister again.”
On this, PM Modi expressed his gratitude. Members of the Lok Sabha hailed Yadav by the customary thumping of the desks.
Yadav praised Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan wholesomely. He said, “You run the House very well, it is not easy to walk with everyone, but no one speaks ill of you. I want to congratulate you and thank you especially for this.”
During this entire episode, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi was seen sitting next to Yadav trying to force a smile on to her lips.
Yadav and Modi’s proximity is not new. The Prime Minister had gone to Saifai to attend the Tilak festival for Yadav’s grandson.
Yadav had said about Modi in 2016, “Look at PM Modi, he has become Prime Minister with hard work and passion. He comes from a poor family. He has so much of love for his mother.”
Left parties, as well as Yadav, had scuppered Sonia Gandhi’s chance of becoming Prime Minister. Yadav had declared openly in April 1999 he wouldn’t accept Sonia Gandhi as the nation’s premier when the AB Vajpayee government lost the confidence of Parliament by one vote.
Equally, late Harkishen Singh Surjeet led the Left parties in ditching Sonia Gandhi, forcing her to call off her plans to form a government that year.
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