Akhilesh Yadav

Akhilesh Yadav, the son of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, is the youngest ever chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. After the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly election, 2012, Samajwadi Party won by more than doubling its presence in the Vidhan Sabha (from 97 to 224), and Akhilesh was nominated as Chief Minister by his party.

Birth & Education:

Akhilesh Yadav was born to Mulayam Singh Yadav and his first wife Malti Devi on 1 July 1973 in the Saifai village of Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh. He got his primary education at St. Mary’s School, Etawaa. Later he studied at the Military School Dholpur, Rajasthan and graduated (BE . Civil Engineering) from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore. He later studied Environmental Engineering in University of Sydney and got a Masters in environmental engineering. Akhilesh is married to Dimple Yadav and they have three children.

Political Career:

Akhilesh Yadav had won the Firozabad seat in May 2009 general elections. In June 2009, Akhilesh Yadav was handed UP as its state president. Later, he won from Kannauj also. Immediately before the Uttar Pradesh Elections of 2012, he has been an MP from Kannauj.

Style of Campaigning

Akhilesh Yadav is known for introducing modern elements in the Samajwadi Party. He has been doing efforts to create a new image of the party across the state and nation. He has extensively campaigned across the Uttar Pradesh and was successful in coverting the youth votes to seats for his party. Akhilesh Yadav has been given credit for the party’s rise from a meager 97 seats in the 2007 Vidhan Sabha. Akhilesh, who was born in Uttar Pradesh and learnt the lessons of politics on the dusty kachcha roads of UP, was able to bring a new look and new life to the Samajwadi party with a progressive, new-age outlook

Challenges Ahead:

Akhilesh’s magic campaign and management involved attempting to strip the party of its image as a “party of goons” in the words of political rivals. He been successful but more has to be done. He has said that his party’s foremost agenda would be freedom from Goonda Raj, he has to go a long way to that. In 2012 elections, the SP manifesto was the first to promise laptops and tablets for students who completed school-leaving. The manifesto is forward-looking with an accent of education and Yadav Junior has promised it will be implemented in full. He will need to make tough economic decisions and garner support for them in the Lok Sabha, where his party has 22 seats.