Who was Prateek Yadav? Akhilesh Yadav’s stepbrother at the centre of wedding row with Aparna Yadav

Despite coming from one of the largest political families in Uttar Pradesh, Prateek largely stayed away from active politics, unlike other family members. 

Prateek Yadav, son of late Mulayam Singh Yadav, died in Lucknow at the age of 38. He was brought dead to a civil hospital in the city on Wednesday morning.

 According to police sources, family members brought him to the hospital at around 6:15 am, where doctors declared him dead. Aparna Yadav was reportedly not present at the time.

The exact cause of death has not yet been revealed. A post-mortem examination is underway, and further details are awaited.

Who was Prateek Yadav

Prateek Yadav was the younger son of late Samajwadi Party (SP) founder and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, from his second wife Sadhana Gupta. He was the half-brother (step-brother) of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav (son from Mulayam's first marriage). He was also a husband of BJP leader Aparna Yadav.

Despite belonging to a prominent political family, Prateek Yadav built his career in real estate and fitness entrepreneurship and was known for founding gym ventures and supporting animal welfare initiatives.

Prateek never held any elected position or significant role within a political party and largely remained away from active politics. In an interview in 2017, he had said that he intended to stay out of politics for as long as possible and focus on his business interests. Although there were occasional suggestions within party circles that he should contest elections, he never chose to pursue a political career.

Also Read | Prateek Yadav, younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, dies at 38 in Lucknow

 Age and background

He was 38 years old at the time of his death. He was an MBA graduate from the University of Leeds (UK) and involved in business, particularly real estate.

Prateek's married to Aparna Yadav in 2011

Prateek Yadav married Aparna Yadav, formerly Aparna Bisht, in 2011. She began her political journey with the Samajwadi Party before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2022, citing her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Aparna Yadav had contested the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election from the Lucknow Cantonment seat on an SP ticket but was defeated by BJP candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Aparna Yadav currently serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Women Commission. Prateek and Aparna have one daughter.

Prateek's death comes months after he publicly accused his wife Aparna Yadav of damaging his relationship with his family and said he planned to seek a divorce.

In January 2026, Prateek had, reportedly, taken to Instagram to announce that he was going to divorce Aparna Yadav, calling her a "selfish woman" and accusing her of "destroying" his family. The post was deleted later.