Mulayam Singh Yadav turns 82 today, here are some interesting facts about him

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav turns 82 today, 22 November. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to wish the veteran political leader on his birthday.
Modi wrote that Yadav had made significant contributions to the country’s political arena and wished him a long and healthy life.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also wished the Samajwadi Party patriarch on his special day.

The party will celebrate the veteran politician’s birthday by organising celebrations in every district of Uttar Pradesh. Workers even performed a havan and cut a cake at the SP’s Lucknow office on the occasion.

As the 82-year-old politician celebrates his birthday; here’s a look at some interesting facts about him:

Yadav was born on 22 November, 1939, in Uttar Pradesh’s Saifai village in Etawah district. The political bigwig was one of the six children in his family.
Singh initially nursed ambitions of being a wrestler. He was first noticed by then-MLA of Jaswantnagar, Nathu Singh, when he was participating in a wrestling match in Mainpuri. He was picked by Singh as his protege and entered politics by contesting on the Sanyukta Socialist Party’s ticket for the Jaswantnagar Assembly seat.
Yadav was first elected as an MLA in 1967.
The political leader was arrested and kept in custody for months during the Emergency.
The 82-year-old founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992.
He has been the chief minister of the state three times from the years 1989-91, 1993-95 as well as 2003-2007.
Yadav has also served as the defence minister from 1996-98 in the United Front government.
Several members of the SP patriarch’s family are in politics including his son Akhilesh Yadav, his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav, his brother Shivpal Yadav, his cousin Ramgopal Yadav, his nephews, Akshaya Yadav and Dharmendra and his grandnephew Tej Pratap Singh Yadav.