UP Assembly elections 2017: Akhilesh Yadav the youngest CM of UP

Since Akhilesh became the CM of UP, the Yadav family and Samajwadi Party have been divided into two camps.

Akhilesh Yadav can presently be described as son who is trying to step out of the shadow of his father. The youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had promised clean governance if his Samajwadi Party came to power in 2012. However, in his tenure he has often appeared to be helpless as his father Mulayam Singh Yadav's way of governance time and again over ruled his ways.

Since Akhilesh became the CM of UP, the Yadav family and Samajwadi Party have been divided into two camps. His group in the party is supported by his father Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal. The rival group is led by his father Mulayam and supported by his brother Shivpal and colleague Amar Singh.

Akhilesh's gentle behaviour however was not to be seen when he fired his uncle Shivpal from the cabinet twice. Akhilesh in recent months has directly challenged the authority of his father. In the latest twist to the family when the list of candidates declared by Mulayam for UP election did not feature some of Akhilesh's friends, Akhilesh in retaliation declared another list of candidates for the election.

He and Ram Gopal were expelled from the party following the power struggle and were again included in the party when majority of MLAs supported him. On January 1, 2017, Ram Gopal then called a SP meet where Akhilesh was declared as SP president. Akhilesh then removed Shivpal as SP's UP chief and appointed MLC Naresh Uttam in his place.

Presently both the groups involved in the power struggle have made the claim before the Election Commission for the party's symbol. On January 3, 2017, Akhilesh had a meeting with his father to figure out a way to sort out this struggle and put up a united front as the election approach.

Here is the brief profile of the CM of UP who has not been projected as CM candidate by his party for the election this time around:

Date of birth: Akhilesh was born on the 1st of July 1973.

Education: Akhilesh was schooled at the Dholpur Military School in Rajasthan. He then got his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Civil Environmental Engineering from University of Mysore. He also has Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from University of Sydney.

Family: Akhilesh was born in Saifai, Mulayam and Malti Devi. Akhilesh is married to Dimple (who is an MP from Kannauj) and has two daughters and a son.

Political career:

• In 2000 he was elected to the 13thLok Sabha from Kannauj in a by-election.

• From 2000 to 2001 he was member of the committee on ethics.

• He was also elected to the Lok Sabha second time in 2004.

• In 2012 at the age of 38 he became the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Controversies:

From the time Akhilesh was sworn in as CM he has been courting
controversies. The first controversy he courted was when he included controversial MLA Raja Bahiya in his cabinet. He had also sparked controversy when a photograph showed him with an accused of Saharanpur violence. He was also involved in a controversy when he said he had downloaded movie PK online and watched it.

When questioned by reporters over rise in violence against women in UP, he had shot back a question to the journalist, "It's not as if you faced any danger", this insensitive counter question had landed CM in a major controversy.

Akhilesh had courted controversy recently when he had said that black money had helped Indian economy during recession.

OneIndia News