Akhilesh Yadav (pronunciationⓘ; born 1 July 1973)[1] is an Indian politician and national president of the Samajwadi Party, who served as the 20th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017.[2] Having assumed the chief minister's office at the age of 38, he is the youngest person to have held the office till date.[3] He is the incumbent Member of Parliament for Kannauj in the 18th Lok Sabha, where he is the parliamentary party leader of Samajwadi Party.[4] Earlier, he was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Karhal in the 18th Vidhan Sabha,[5][6] before resigning[7] and has also been the Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from March 2022 to June 2024. His first significant success in politics was being elected as the Member of the 13th Lok Sabha in the year 2000 (by-poll) for the Kannauj constituency. He is the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, a veteran Indian politician and the founder of Samajwadi Party who served as Minister of Defence, Government of India and served three terms as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Early life and education Yadav was born on 1 July 1973 in Saifai, Etawah District, Uttar Pradesh. He was born to Malti Devi and Mulayam Singh Yadav, later Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.[8] Malti Devi suffered complications while giving birth to Akhilesh which put her in a vegetative state. She died in 2003. With Mulayam Singh Yadav busy making a career in politics, Akhilesh was brought up mostly by his paternal grandparents. He completed his early education in a local school in Saifai and then one in Etawah town.[9] He was schooled at Dholpur Military School in Dholpur, Rajasthan, then obtained his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India.[10] Political career Yadav was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Kannauj in a by-election in 2000.[11] He was also a member of the Committee on Food, Civil Supplies, and Public Distribution.[12][13] Yadav served as a Member of the Committee on Ethics from 2000 to 2001[14] and in 2004 was elected as a member of the 14th Lok Sabha for a second term. He was at times a member of the following committees: Committee on Urban Development, Committee on Provision of Computers for various departments, Committee on Science and Technology, and Committee on Environment and Forests. From 2009 to 2012 Yadav was elected and served as a member of the 15th Lok Sabha for a second term. During this period he was a member of the following committees: Member of the Committee on Environment and Forests, Committee on Science and Technology, and the JPC on the 2G spectrum case. On 10 March 2012 he was appointed leader of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. On 15 March 2012, at the age of 38, he became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the youngest to hold the office.[15] In May 2012 Yadav resigned from the Kannauj parliamentary seat to further serve as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh after his party won the Assembly elections.[16] In the same month he became Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative council.[17] In the 2017 Assembly elections, the SP-Congress Alliance headed by Yadav was unable to form the government. He submitted his resignation to Governor Ram Naik on 11 March.[18] The 2019 Indian general elections and 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections saw Yadav being elected to the parliament and state assembly simultaneously, with Yadav later retaining his state assembly seat, and thereby submitting his resignation in the Lok Sabha.[19] In the 2024 Indian general election Yadav was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha from Kannauj.[6] Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in April 2012 Yadav was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 15 March 2012, aged 38, winning 224 seats in the March 2012 assembly elections.[15] During his tenure, the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, thelongest expressway in India at that time, was inaugurated.[20][21][22] Yadav also launched the "UP100 Police Service",[23] "Women Power Line 1090"[24] and "108 Ambulance Service".[25] Projects like the Lucknow Metro Rail,[26] Lucknow International Ekana Cricket Stadium,[27] Janeshwar Mishra Park (Asia's largest park),[28] Jayaprakash Narayan International Convection Center, IT city were inaugurated.[29] His chief ministerial tenure saw emphasis on setting up Kisan Bazaars and Mandis, introducing social welfare schemes such as Lohiya Awas Yojana, Kanya Vidya Dhan, Kisan Avam Sarvhit Bima Yojana, Pension Yojna and allotting unemployment allowances.[30][29] Between 2012 and 2015, over 15 Lakh laptops were distributed to the 10th and 12th passout students by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, making it one of the largest distribution schemes by any government in the world.[31] Positions held Akhilesh Yadav has been elected 1 time as MLA and 5 times as Lok Sabha MP.[32] # From To Position Party 1. 2000 2004 MP (1st term) in 13th Lok Sabha from Kannauj (by-poll) SP 2. 2004 2009 MP (2nd term) in 14th Lok Sabha from Kannauj SP 3. 2009 2012 MP (3rd term) in 15th Lok Sabha from Kannauj (resigned in 2012) and Firozabad (resigned in 2009) SP 4. 2012 2018 MLC (1st term) in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Chief Minister (1st term) in Government of UP (2012–2017) SP 5. 2019 2022 MP (4th term) in 17th Lok Sabha from Azamgarh (resigned in 2022) SP 6. 2022 12 June 2024[33] MLA (1st term) from Karhal Leader of the Opposition of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly SP 7. 2024[34] Present Member of the 18th Lok Sabha (5th time) from Kannauj SP Election history This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Lok Sabha Year Constituency Party Votes % Opponent Opponent party Opponent votes % Result Margin % 2000* Kannauj SP 3,06,054 43.1 Akbar Ahmad Dumpy BSP 2,47,329 34.8 Won 58,725 8.3 2004 4,64,367 61.21 Thakur Rajesh Singh 1,56,994 20.69 Won 3,07,373 40.52 2009 3,56,895 48.1 Mahesh Chandra Verma 1,91,887 25.86 Won 1,65,008 22.24 Firozabad 2,87,011 41.9 S. P. Singh Baghel 2,19,710 32.1 Won 67,301 9.8 2019 Azamgarh 6,21,578 60.04 Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' BJP 3,61,704 35.1 Won 2,59,874 24.94 2024 Kannauj 6,42,292 52.74 Subrat Pathak 4,71,370 38.71 Won 1,70,922 14.03 • (*) denotes by-election Member of Legislative Assembly (Uttar Pradesh) Year Constituency Party Votes % Opponent Opponent party Opponent votes % Result Margin % 2022 Karhal SP 148,196 60.12 Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel BJP 80,692 32.74 Won 67,504 27.38 Personal life See also: Political families of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav is married to Dimple Yadav, a Member of Parliament. The couple has three children; two daughters: Aditi and Tina, and a son, Arjun. Akhilesh is a civil engineer, agriculturist, and socio-political worker. He has a keen interest in sports, mainly football and cricket. His favourite pastimes are reading, listening to music, and watching films.[35] Since Yadav became chief minister, his family was divided into two feuding groups, one siding with him and the other with his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav. Akhilesh had the support of his father's cousin, Ram Gopal Yadav, while Shivpal later founded his own political party, the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), which ahead of 2022 elections again merged with Samajwadi Party, with Shivpal being elected as an MLA on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha Incumbent Assumed office 4 June 2024 Preceded by Subrat Pathak Constituency Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh In office 30 May 2019 – 22 March 2022 Preceded by Mulayam Singh Yadav Succeeded by Dinesh Lal Yadav Constituency Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh In office 25 February 2000 – 2 May 2012 Preceded by Mulayam Singh Yadav Succeeded by Dimple Yadav Constituency Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh Leader of Samajwadi Party in Lok Sabha Incumbent Assumed office 9 June 2024 Deputy Babu Singh Kushwaha Preceded by S. T. Hasan 2nd President of the Samajwadi Party Incumbent Assumed office 1 January 2017 Guidance Leader Mulayam Singh Yadav (till October 2022) Preceded by Mulayam Singh Yadav 32nd Leader of the Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly In office 26 March 2022 – 11 June 2024 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Preceded by Ram Govind Chaudhary Succeeded by Mata Prasad Pandey Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly In office 10 March 2022 – 11 June 2024 Preceded by Sobaran Singh Yadav Succeeded by Tej Pratap Singh Yadav Constituency Karhal 20th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh In office 15 March 2012 – 19 March 2017 Governor Aziz Qureshi Ram Naik Ministry & Departments • Home and Confidential • Appointment and Personnel • Finance • Energy • Excise • Higher Education • Secondary Education • Housing • Sugar & Cane Development • Industrial Development • General Administration • Other departments not allocated to a Minister. Preceded by Kumari Mayawati Succeeded by Yogi Adityanath Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council In office 6 May 2012 – 5 May 2018 Preceded by Kashinath Yadav Succeeded by Vijay Bahadur Pathak Constituency Elected by the MLAs Personal details Born 1 July 1973 (age 53) Saifai, Uttar Pradesh, India Party Samajwadi Party Spouse Dimple Rawat (m. 1999) Relations Shivpal Singh Yadav (uncle) Children 3 Parent • Mulayam Singh Yadav (father) Education University of Mysore (B.E.) Profession • Politician • civil engineer

Rajesh Ranjan (born 24 December 1967), popularly known as Pappu Yadav, is an Indian politician from Bihar, and a member of Parliament (MP) representing Purnia constituency in Bihar.[1][2] Emerging from a background linked to crime, Pappu Yadav transitioned into politics in the 1990s. He has been elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2014 and 2024, representing various constituencies in Bihar either independently or under different party banners including the Samajwadi Party, Lok Janshakti Party, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), but his electoral success has been largely independent of party affiliations. In the 2015 Bihar elections he formed his own party, Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik)[3] but failed to make any impact and could barely capture any votes.[4] On 20 March 2024, he merged his party with the Indian National Congress (INC).[5] Early life Pappu Yadav was born on 24 December 1967 in a zamindar[6] family in Khurda Karveli village (Kumarkhand block), Madhepura district, Bihar. He studied in Anand Marg School at Anand Palli, Supaul. He completed graduation in political science from B. N. Mandal University, Madhepura and a diploma in disaster management and human rights from IGNOU.[7] Rajesh Ranjan is his official name but nickname Pappu was given by his grandfather in childhood. He is married to Ranjeet Ranjan. She was also an MP from Madhepura but lost to Janata Dal (United) (JDU) in 2019 general election. His son Sarthak Ranjan, is a T-20 cricket player for Delhi.[8][9] Yadav's entry into the criminal world was facilitated by his maternal uncle, Arjun Singh, a dominant figure in his district, who used to run a parallel government in the area. Yadav succeeded Singh in his operations and founded the youth organization Yuva Shakti, which allegedly engaged in criminal activities under his leadership.[10] Politics Yadav's political journey began with his independent win in the Singheshwar constituency in the 1990 Bihar Legislative Assembly election. He soon garnered the attention of prominent politicians, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. In the 1991 Indian general election, Yadav won the Purnia Lok Sabha constituency with a significant margin, solidifying his influence in the Kosi region. In 2008, Yadav was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, which disqualified him from fighting future elections.[11] 2009 Lok Sabha election Pappu Yadav meeting the Union Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu On 2 April 2009, the Patna High Court rejected Yadav's plea to be allowed to contest the 2009 Indian parliamentary elections because he had been convicted of murder. On 11 April, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav expelled Pappu Yadav from the party. His mother Shanti Priya fought elections in his place, she lost to Uday Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 2010 Bihar election During 2010 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, Pappu Yadav along with Anil Yadav and Rampravesh Rai were expelled from the RJD for alleged anti-party activity. They were charged with working against the party's official nominee for Fatuha Assembly constituency, Ramanand Yadav. 2014 Lok Sabha election Yadav was acquitted of murder and subsequently fought in the 2014 general elections. Pappu Yadav defeated JD(U)'S Sharad Yadav and become an MP for the fifth time.[12] His wife, Ranjeet Ranjan was also elected from Supaul from Congress. Pappu Yadav became one of the 'best performing' MPs from Bihar in 2015 for his attendance and participation in debates.[13] 2015 Bihar election On 7 May 2015, the RJD expelled him due to anti-party activities, after which he founded a new party Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik).[14] Pappu Yadav floated the new party just before the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.[15][16][17][18][19] He campaigned against the Nitish-Lalu alliance.[20] His party fought on 64 seats as part of Socialist Secular Morcha to form a third front in but failed to win any seats in the 16th Bihar Assembly.[21] 2019 Lok Sabha election Pappu Yadav suffered a defeat in 2019 when he contested from his own party from Madhepura constituency but came third behind Dinesh Chandra Yadav and Sharad Yadav. His wife lost her seat to Dileshwar Kamait after contesting from Congress.[22] 2020 Bihar election In September 2020, prior to the Bihar Assembly elections, Yadav floated a new alliance called People Democratic Alliance which contained parties like Bahujan Mukti Party and Social Democratic Party of India, Indian Union Muslim League along with Azad Samaj Party, the party of Dalit activist and president of Bhim Army, Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan.[23] 2024 Lok Sabha election Pappu Yadav, who contested the Purnia Lok Sabha seat in Bihar as an independent candidate, won the seat by a margin of over 23,000 votes. He defeated JDU candidate Santosh Kushwaha and RJD candidate Bima Bharti.[24][25] Positions held Pappu Yadav was elected as MP, four times from the Purnia and twice from Madhepura constituency. From To Position Constituency Party 1990 1991 MLA (1st term) Singheshwar Independent 1991 1996 MP (1st term) in 10th Lok Sabha (by-poll) Purnia Independent 1996 1998 MP (2nd term) in 11th Lok Sabha Purnia SP 1999 2004 MP (3rd term) in 13th Lok Sabha Purnia Independent 2004 2009 MP (4th term) in 14th Lok Sabha (by-poll) Madhepura RJD 2014 2019 MP (5th term) in 16th Lok Sabha Madhepura RJD 2024 2029 MP (6th term) in 18th Lok Sabha Purnia Independent Controversies Yadav was allegedly involved in aiding Kim Davy, the prime accused in the Purulia arms drop case, in evading Indian authorities in 1995 during his tenure as an independent MP.[26] In 2008, Pappu Yadav was convicted by a special court in Ajit Sarkar murder case of 1998 and sentenced to life imprisonment.[11] He was involved in various controversies while in imprisonment, like holding audiences and having unrestricted access to cellphones. He was acquitted in 2013 by the Patna High Court. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an appeal challenging his arrest in the Supreme Court.[27][28] In his autobiography Drohkaal ka Pathik, released in November 2013, Pappu Yadav has alleged that three MPs of Indian Federal Democratic Party got money from the then finance minister Yashwant Sinha, to join the NDA in 2001. He has also claimed that during the July 2008 trust vote, both the Congress and BJP had offered "Rs 40 crore each" to MPs for their support.[29] In 2015 he was once again in controversy after being reported to have allegedly threatened to hit a Jet Airways airhostess with slippers.[30] In June 2020, Pappu Yadav and his supporters defaced advertisements and billboards of Chinese companies on the streets of Patna, after the Galwan clash.[31] In May 2021, Pappu Yadav was arrested in a 32 year old kidnapping case and for flouting COVID-19 norms. Pappu Yadav has alleged political vendetta as he was raising questions against government expenditures in ambulance management during COVID-19.[32] As per 2019 election affidavit, Pappu Yadav has 31 pending cases against him.[33] This number shot up to 41 in 2024. On 12 April 2023, he was convicted under Section 147 and 353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) a special MP/MLA court in Patna. On 24 November 2023, he was convicted under IPC Section 414 by the same court. Yadav has filed an appeal for both the cases