Prateek Yadav, the 38-year-old younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and stepbrother of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, died in Lucknow on Wednesday after a sudden illness. He was rushed to the civil hospital in the early hours of the morning but was declared dead on arrival, sources said.

According to youths who were present with the body at the civil hospital, located roughly a kilometre from Prateek's residence, he was brought in around 5:10 am and was officially declared dead around 6 am. A panel of doctors is expected to conduct an autopsy.

Despite belonging to one of Uttar Pradesh's most powerful political families, Prateek had consciously kept his distance from active politics. He was known instead as a fitness enthusiast and a committed animal lover who supported multiple animal shelters.

Prateek was born to Mulayam Singh Yadav and his second wife, Sadhna Gupta.

The Samajwadi Party expressed grief over his passing in a brief post on X: "The demise of Shri Pratik Yadav Ji is extremely heartbreaking! May God grant peace to the departed soul. Humble tribute!"

Prateek's brother-in-law, Aman Bisht, was at the hospital when reporters reached out. "I am at the hospital right now. This is not the time," he told PTI.

His wife, Aparna Bisht Yadav, took a different path; she joined the BJP and currently serves as vice chairperson of the State Women's Commission. The couple's relationship had been in the public eye earlier this year. On January 19, Prateek posted a lengthy statement on his Instagram account accusing Aparna of being a "family destroyer" and describing her as "self-centred" and "driven by fame and influence," adding that he intended to seek a divorce at the earliest.

However, the rift appeared to be short-lived. On January 28, Prateek announced that the matter had been resolved. In a video posted on Instagram, he 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 accompanied the post with the caption: "Haters, go to hell," and followed it with a video alongside Aparna.

(With inputs from PTI)

Published on: May 13, 2026 9:35 AM IST