3. Mulayam was an ardent follower of Socialist leader Raj Narain who defeated Indira Gandhi in the 1977 Lok Sabha Elections from Rae Bareli constituency. In fact he was politically nurtured by leaders like Raj Narain and Ram Manohar Lohia.
Lohia's integrity, selfless struggle for India's independence and his ability to unite people of all sections of society has greatly influenced the leaders, youth and workers in the party. Lohia was jailed by the British several times during the freedom struggle and he fought rigorously all his life for social equality.
Lohia's ability to awaken the people with his fiery articles on Satyagraha and his innate knowledge of social problems made him the foremost socialist leader of India. But along the way, it appears as though ‘Netaji' (Mulayam) forgot these virtues instilled in him through the great leaders.
