Who was Sadhna Gupta, second wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav?
Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's second wife, Sadhna Gupta, passed away on Saturday at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital. Prior to marrying the ex-chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2003, Sadhna was married to a Farrukhabad grocer, Chandra Prakash Gupta. They were married from 1986 to 1990, as per reports. She had met Yadav after her divorce from Gupta. Here's her story.
Sadhna used to take care of Yadav's mother
Yadav's son Akhilesh Yadav wrote about the relationship between him and Sadhna in his biography, Badlav Ki Lehar. He mentioned Sadhna as a nurse used to take care of Murti Devi—Yadav's mother—who was frequently ill. In one instance described in the book, she stopped a nurse from giving Devi an incorrect injection and saved her. This is when Yadav started developing feelings for Sadhna.
Akhilesh was upset with his father's decision
After the passing of Malti Yadav, Akhilesh's mother and Yadav's first wife, in 2003, Sadhna rose to prominence. However, Yadav unofficially gave Sadhna's son, Prateek Yadav, the status of a son in the mid-1990s itself, per reports. Akhilesh reportedly became very upset with his father's decision and began living separately. Notably, Amar Singh was the only person who knew about Yadav's relationship with Sadhna.
Yadav officially confirmed his second marriage in 2007
Reportedly, Yadav and Sadhna formally got married after his first wife's death. Sadhna was 20 years younger than him. However, Yadav officially confirmed their marriage only in 2007, when he revealed in an affidavit that Sadhna was his wife and her son, Prateek, was his stepson, as per reports. Moreover, Prateek's 1994 school application listed Yadav as his father.
Sadhna was also active in politics
Sadhna had also been involved in the Samajwadi Party's (SP) politics. However, after marrying Yadav, she stepped back from active politics. But her brother, Pramod Gupta, was an active party member and also served as an MLA in Uttar Pradesh's 16th Legislative Assembly. During the 2022 UP elections, however, he severed ties with the SP and joined the BJP alongside Prateek's wife, Aparna Yadav.
Sadhna died after prolonged illness
Sadhna was admitted to Medanta Hospital recently after complaining of chest pain. She was reportedly diagnosed with a lung infection and was also suffering from other ailments. After her condition deteriorated, she was moved to the ICU where she breathed her last. The SP's official Twitter handle confirmed her death on Saturday. Sadhna's mortal remains were taken to Lucknow, where her funeral was held.
Several leaders expressed condolences on Sadhna's death
Following the news of Sadhna's death, several leaders have expressed their condolences. "Sadly received the news of the demise of Sadhna Yadav... Sincere condolences to Mulayamji, family, Akhilesh, all well-wishers," West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted. "The death of Mulayam Singh Ji's wife is extremely saddening. May Lord Ram help the soul attain moksha and strength to the family," UP CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted.
