UP polls: When namesakes haunted 'Netaji' on home turf

The situation continued in the Assembly elections of 1991 and 1993 as well.

Mulayam became MLA for the first time in 1967 (on SSP ticket), and had been MLA for eight terms.

According to the Election Commission data, in 1989, Mulayam Singh Yadav s/o Sughar Singh was fielded by Janta Dal. He faced challenge from Mulayam Singh Yadav s/o Pattiram, an independent candidate.

Mulayam bagged 65,597 votes (59.26 pc), while his namesake could get only 1,032 votes (0.93 per cent).

The situation continued in 1991 as well.

Mulayam, contesting on Janata Party symbol, won from Jaswantnagar securing 47,765 votes (45.96 per cent), while his namesake could muster only 328 votes.

This election also saw emergence of another Mulayam Singh, again an independent candidate, in Barauli Assembly constituency. But could get only 218 votes (0.25 pc).

In the 1993 UP Assembly elections, Mulayam contested from three Assembly constituencies - Jaswantnagar (Etawah), Shikohabad (Firozabad) and Nidhauli Kalan (Etah) - and won all on Samajwadi Party ticket.

By this time, the Samajwadi Party was formed, and elections were held after the Ram Mandir agitation.

However, 'Netaji' as Mulayam is fondly known among his supporters, had to face challenge from his namesakes in each of the three assembly seats.

In Jaswantnagar, Mulayam bagged the lion's share of 60,242 votes (46.88 pc), while his namesake and independent candidate got 192 votes (0.15 pc).

Shikohabad saw Mulayam bagging 55,249 votes (42.43 pc), while his namesake (Mulayam Singh Yadav s/o Rustam Singh) got 154 votes (0.12 pc).

Similarly, in Nidhauli Kalan, Mulayam Singh Yadav got 41,683 votes, while his namesake and independent candidate got only 184 votes.

Barauli Assembly constituency (in Aligarh) also witnessed another namesake - Mulayam Singh Sehra, who got just 164 votes.

During the 1985 Assembly elections, Mulayam won on Lok Dal ticket from Jaswantnagar, while his namesake was in the poll fray from Auraiya. The namesake bagged only 292 votes.

Mulayam Singh Yadav could not win 1980 Assembly election from Jaswantnagar, while contesting on Janata Party (Secular) led by Chaudhary Charan Singh. However, his namesake (Mulayam Singh) fought on Indian National Congress (U) ticket from Bharthana, and could get 2,367 votes.

Interestingly, even before Mulayam Singh Yadav forayed in UP's electoral politics, an independent candidate - Mulayam Singh - contested from Gunnaur North Assembly seat polling 2,944 votes in 1951.

In 2007, Mulayam Singh Yadav contested from Gunnaur and Bharthana, and won both the Assembly seats.

In 1974, Mulayam won from Jaswantnagar on Bhartiya Kranti Dal (BKD) ticket and retained the seat in 1977, but as Janata Party (JNP) candidate.