Even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been busy fighting his father and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to take control of the party, his step-brother Prateek Yadav has kept himself away from the hullaballoo and has been busy building his biceps.
Prateek, the son of Mulayam's second wife Sadhana Yadav, is hardly known in political circles. Sadhana's name was dragged into the current political imbroglio after Samajwadi Party MLC Udayveer wrote a letter to Mulayam that she was was instigating trouble in the party. Udayveer, a close confidant of Akhilesh, was later expelled from the party.
Prateek, meanwhile, has chosen to stay mum all along. While Akhilesh followed his father's footsteps in politics, Prateek chose to pursue his father's wrestling skills. His name came into limelight after 2003 when Mulayam married his mother after his first wife, Malati Devi (Akhilesh’s mother) passed away. Till then, nobody knew of their existence.
Besides working out, Prateek has been handling a real estate business. Born in 1988, he has an MBA from Leeds University and wants to open over 25 fitness centres across Uttar Pradesh (at present, he has one in Lucknow). His Facebook page has 12,512 followers unlike his step-brother Akhilesh who has over 42 lakh followers. He is an animal lover.
Prateek is also passionate about sky diving and is a fan of Anthony Robins (below), an American businessman and author of various self-help books.
Prateek is married to Aparna Bisht Yadav, who is likely to contest elections from Lucknow Cantonment seat in the upcoming assembly elections. Aparna is following the footsteps of Akhilesh's wife Dimple, who is a Member of Parliament from Kannauj.
All Photographs: Prateek Yadav/Facebook