Later, he asks The Indian Express: ``When so many Yadavs are with my party, where can the Muslims go?'' ``Today's public meeting has ensured a large victory margin for my candidate.''

The Samajwadi Party is locked in an intense battle with the Congress Party and Bahujan Samaj Party for the Muslim vote bank in the 31 seats going to polls on October 3. Mulayam makes no bones about it. ``Muslims always vote for the winning candidate and the SP is in direct contest with the BJP in all the 31 seats here,'' he says confidently.

As if to make sure that Muslims don't go to the Congress, he draws a parallel. ``There is no difference between the two parties. Both are asking votes for stability andKargil. Both voted together in Parliament on issues like Patents and Women's Reservation Bill. The BJP calls me Maulana Mulayam and Congress leaders say I am worse than even Jinnah. If they are so similar, why don't they merge and fight my party together.''

In his public meetings for his party candidates at Maharajganj, Deoria, Padrauna, Salempur, Bansgaon, Gorakhpur and for former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar at Ballia, Mulayam makes it a point to attack the Congress to avoid a split in his Muslim vote bank.

He also refers to the Congress resolution on Hindutva terming it another proof of its anti-minorities policy. Mulayam says idols were put inside the Babri Masjid under the Congress rule, the mosque was unlocked by them, foundation for Ram temple was laid by them and ultimately the mosque was demolished under a Congress rule. ``My only crime is that I protected it from being razed in 1990 and still people say Muslims are deserting me, going to the Congress. Is it possible?'', he asks to the cries ofNo, No.

It is more than apparent that the Congress for him is a bigger enemy than the BJP as it does not have any claim over Mulayam's Muslim vote bank. The BJP is further down on his hit-list than even the BJP.

``See, on whose support Kalyan Singh's Government is surviving -- 20 (Loktantrik) Congress MLAs and 24 (Jantantrik) BSP MLAs. They are the purchasable commodity. Not a single SP MLA or MP could be bought by the BJP so far. You would be rather voting for the BJP than either the Congress or the BSP for they will ultimately support the BJP,'' Mulayam tells them.

It does not surprise anyone then that his meetings are drawing huge crowds and his speech evokes good response. He also makes it a point to keep a few prominent Muslim leaders of the area with him on the dais. But why did he not invite cinestars like the other parties? ``I myself am a political actor. Can any other leader draw more crowds than me?''

Mulayam also tells people that his is not a Yadav Party and his decision to field onlyseven Yadavs out of 85 candidates in UP was evidence. ``There are 15 Muslims, 12 Rajputs, five Kurmis, 13 Rajbhars, three Banias, two Brahmins and rest OBCs in the SP's list of candidates,'' he says claiming that his is an all-caste party.

It's not a fire-spewing Mulayam of '89-90 who used to exhort Muslims to keep arms for their protection. Instead of creating a terror of the majority community among the Muslims, he is now creating a phobia for the BSP and the Congress.

The former Defence Minister is so angry at exit polls predicting only one seat for his party out of 30 seats which went to polls in the first phase on September 18 that he raises the issue in public. ``Let them tell me which is that one seat. People tell me Phoolan Devi is winning from Mirzapur, Jawahar Jaiswal is winning from Chandauli or Raj Babbar from Agra. Even if one of them is winning, is Mulayam Singh losing from Kannaj?'' And the crowd breaks into a hysteria. ``No, no. You are winning.''