Lucknow:
Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and half-brother of Akhilesh Yadav, has died in Lucknow at the age of 38. Sources said Yadav suddenly fell ill and was rushed to the civil hospital in the early hours of the day, but was declared dead at the hospital.
“The demise of Shri Prateek Yadav Ji is extremely heartbreaking! May God grant peace to the departed soul. Humble tribute!” the Samajwadi Party said in a brief post on X.
Prateek was the son of Malayam Singh Yadav and his second wife, Sadhna Gupta. Although hailing from a prominent political family, Prateek, a fitness enthusiast, had stayed away from active politics. However, his wife, Aparna Bisht Yadav, joined the BJP and is currently the vice chairperson of the State Women’s Commission.
Just months ago, Prateek announced his “divorce” from wife Aparna Yadav. However, they reconciled days later. The sudden passing has stunned a political family that has rarely known peace.
A Look At Prateek Yadav’s Family Tree
- Father: Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP founder, former Chief Minister)
- Mother: Sadhna Gupta
- Wife: Aparna Yadav (BJP leader)
- Children: two daughters
- Brother (step-brother): Akhilesh Yadav (former Chief Minister, SP chief)
- Sister-in-law: Dimple Yadav
- Nephews/nieces: Arjun Yadav, Tina Yadav, Aditi Yadav
- Uncles: Shivpal Singh Yadav, Abhay Ram Singh Yadav, Rajpal Singh Yadav
The Yadav Family Dynamics
Photo Credit: Prateek Yadav On Instagram
SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was married twice. With his first wife, Malti Devi, he had his son, Akhilesh Yadav, who is the current SP chief. After Malti Devi died in 2003, Mulayam Singh Yadav publicly acknowledged his secret second marriage to Sadhana Gupta, a SP worker.
Prateek, born in 1988, was Mulayam Singh Yadav‘s second son with Sadhana Gupta, although their relationship was secret at the time.
For years, it was reported that Prateek was Sadhana Yadav’s son with her first husband, Chandraprakash Gupta, with whom she was married at the time of his birth. His school records reportedly listed no father’s name, and the family also never disputed the claim publicly.
Photo Credit: Prateek Yadav On Instagram
However, he was accepted as Mulayam Singh Yadav’s legitimate son when the CBI inquiry against the SP founder and his sons in a disproportionate assets case reached the Supreme Court. Mulayam Singh Yadav died in October 2022 at the age of 82.
Though Akhilesh and Prateek share a father, they never truly shared a world. His mother Sadhana’s growing influence over Mulayam Singh Yadav was partially blamed for the rift between Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav, and the incident has cast a long shadow over the half-brothers. The two were rarely seen sharing public spaces.
Feud With Wife
Photo Credit: Prateek Yadav On Instagram
On January 19 this year, Prateek openly accused his wife, Aparna Bisht Yadav, of ruining his family ties and said he would seek a divorce from her at the earliest. In a lengthy post on his Instagram account (iamprateekyadav), the late politician’s son described Aparna Yadav as a “family destroyer” and accused her of being “self-centred” and “driven by fame and influence”.
However, on January 28, he announced reconciliation with his wife.
In a video he posted on Instagram, Prateek said, “On January 19, I had a serious dispute with my wife Aparna, following which I made two posts on social media. However, the matter has now been resolved mutually after discussions, and there is no longer any dispute between us.” He also posted a caption in the video: “Haters, go to hell.” In another post, he posted a video with Aparna.
