Raghuraj Pratap Singh aide became a rival chasing political ambitions

LUCKNOW Samajwadi Party’s officiating district president in Pratapgarh, Gulshan Yadav, was once a close lieutenant of seven-time Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias ‘Raja Bhaiyya’, but turned his rival in pursuit of his political aspirations nearly six years ago.

Yadav was arrested from Prayagraj on Tuesday after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him in a case related to house-breaking and assault and dacoity during assembly elections last year. The case was lodged by a local resident of Kunda and Raja Bhaiyya’s diehard supporter, Vijay Pratap Singh, on February 27, 2022.

Singh said Yadav met Raja Bhaiyya for the first time when the latter was sent to jail in November 2002 during Mayawati’s tenure and POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) was slapped against him. He said Gulshan was also lodged in the jail for a petty crime and served Raja Bhaiyya, following which the latter helped him bail out of jail through his lawyer.

“In return, Gulshan Yadav and his brother Chhavi Nath Yadav allegedly shot dead Rajendra Yadav, pradhan of Baand Mau village and the prime witness against Raja Bhaiyya in the POTA case in February 2003,” said the local. This helped both brothers come closer to Raja Bhaiyya who helped them become pradhan of two village panchayats after coming out of jail in 2004, he added.

“This was the time when Gulshan and Chhavi Nath Yadav accompanied Raja Bhaiyya as his shadow. Sometimes Gulshan even used to drive the MLA’s vehicle,” he claimed.

In 2011, Gulshan Yadav also became the chairman of Kunda Nagar panchayat with the support of Raja Bhaiyya. Gulshan, his brother Chhavi along with Raja Bhaiyya were made accused in the brutal killing of DySP Zia-ul-Haq while trying to control the mob after allegedly killing a Ballipur village pradhan Nanhe Yadav on March 2, 2013.

Between 2014 and 2017, Gulshan Yadav raised his political stature while being in the Samajwadi Party and dared to go against the wishes of Raja Bhaiyya in 2017 civic bodies’ election. Yadav made his wife Seema Yadav successfully contest against the candidate supported by Raja Bhaiyya.

His political aspirations were fuelled by the Samajwadi Party when he was made party candidate against Raja Bhaiyya in 2022 assembly elections from Kunda assembly and gave him a tough fight.

Though Raja Bhaiyya won the election by getting over 99,000 votes (over 50% votes), Gulshan Yadav gave him a tough fight bagging over 69,000 votes. Thereafter, Gulshan’s brother Chhavi Nath was made district president of the SP while later he was made officiating president when Chhavi Nath was arrested in May 2023 in a physical assault case during 2022 assembly elections.