11 members of Mulayam Singh Yadav's family in UP politics

LUCKNOW: Three members Mulayam Singh Yadav family have entered politics through the recently-held Panchayat elections, taking the total number of elected representatives from the Samajwadi Party chief's family to 11.

Two more members are expected to join politics if the yet-to-be-announced elections results go in their favour.

Mulayam Singh entered public life promising to fight dynastic rule and feudalism. Now five decades later, a dozen members of his clan are in politics.

The latest entrants are Mulayam's nephew Abhishek Yadav “Anshul“, who was elected as the Chairman of Etawah Zila Panchayat body , and niece Sandhya Yadav, who is now the Chairman of Mainpuri Zila Panchayat. Another relative Dr Vandana Yadav was elected as Chairman of Hamirpur Zila Panchayat.

Abhishek Yadav is Mulayam's brother Abhay Ram Yadav's son while Sandhya is the party supremo's niece and sister of Budayun MP Dharmendra Yadav. Both were elected unopposed. The third elected family member, Vandana Yadav, is the sister-inlaw of Sandhya's brother Dharmendra Yadav.

Chairman of a Zila Panchayat or District Panchayat is the highest post in the panchayat hierarchy and controls majority of development work in the district.

Last month, two more relatives, Mridula Yadav who is the mother of Mulayam's nephew and Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Yadav, and Ajant Singh Yadav, brother-in-law of Mulayam, got elected as members of Block Development Council from Saifai and Chaubiya respectively .

Both Mridula and Ajant Singh are further expected to be elected as Chairpersons of the Block Development Councils, results of which are still awaited.

Mulayam himself is an MP from Azamgarh. His son Akhilesh Yadav is an MLC and the Chief Minister of the state.