Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s step-son Prateek Yadav has announced on social media that he is headed for divorce.

Prateek, son of Mulayam’s second wife Sadhana Gupta, met Aparna Bisht at Manchester University and the couple tied the knot in 2011. Aparna is the daughter of Arvind Bisht, a veteran journalist who was known for his proximity to the Samajwadi Party.

Aparna had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket from Lucknow Cantonment in 2017. Later, she joined the BJP and was appointed vice-chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission in 2024.

In the Instagram post on Monday, Prateek wrote in bold letters that Aparna was “a family destroyer”.

“I am going to divorce this selfish woman as soon as possible. She ruined my family ties. All she wants to become is famous and influential. Right now, I am (in a) very bad mental health condition and she doesn’t bother. Because it’s only herself she bothers about. I have never seen such a bad soul, and I was unfortunate to get married to her,” the post read.

While Prateek was not available for comment, media reports said Aparna’s family members had expressed suspicion that Prateek’s social media account had been hacked and that Aparna was not in Lucknow.

The couple have a 12-year-old daughter.

Mulayam is said to have married Sadhana in the late 90s when he was already married to Malti Devi, mother of Akhilesh Yadav. Sadhana was also married when she met Mulayam.

Sources close to Akhilesh said he had no ill feelings towards Prateek, but disapproved of how the Bisht family had “manipulated” Mulayam. “Akhilesh always tried to keep the Bisht family away but Mulayam forced him to appoint Arvind Bisht as information commissioner when Akhilesh was chief minister,” a source said.