Buy, build, profit: How Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s cousins flipped Ujjain

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav addresses the inauguration of projects in Indore on Friday. (Twitter/ Mohan Yadav)

6 min readUjjainJun 23, 2026 06:31 AM IST

First published on: Jun 23, 2026 at 06:04 AM IST

While on a land-purchasing spree in and around Ujjain, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s family struck deals with builders to develop some of these parcels. A few clusters are being developed by the family itself.

For instance, between April 2024 and July 2025, Mohan Yadav’s cousin Govind Yadav and his associates purchased 41 acres through 16 land deals in Gangedi, near the junction of the upgraded Ujjain-Badnagar and Ujjain-Indore highways.

Within months, between July 2024 and September 2025, they handed over these plots to Indore-based Shanti Mahalok Builders in five tranches for development.

One set of plots were transferred to the builder under the agreement that Shanti Mahalok would have to develop the project at its own risk and cost in 24 months and hand over 67.8 per cent of the developed property, including dwelling units, to Govind Yadav and partners to sell or utilise independently.

The other parcels were also transferred under similar agreements but with a 60:40 ratio of ownership of the developed project between the land owner and the builder.

Asked about the two deals, Govind Yadav’s son Anant Yadav said: “Our agreement with the builder is based purely on the appreciating value of the land and the fixed cost of development.”

On the ownership of land in Ujjain’s Gangedi, he said: “My father (Govind) is not the sole owner. He has six-seven private business partners. Though registered in 2023, the land purchase agreements date back to 2020 when he (Mohan Yadav) was not even a minister. The highway work in question was cleared back in 2019. The land is not on the highway but 100m away.”

Shanti Mahalok co-owner Mehul Mehta declined to comment.

A housing project coming up on land in Ujjain’s Gangedi. (Express Photo)

Mohan Yadav’s other cousin Nilesh Yadav, on the other hand, is developing a number of realty projects under the Sawariya brand name. Since October 2024, he has registered four new housing schemes through Shri Annapurna Construction in Ujjain with Madhya Pradesh RERA.

These are:

October 2024: Shri Sawariya Dham in Karadiya on 7.5 acres purchased in July 2023,

December 2024: Sawariya Dreams in Chandesera on 5 acres purchased in October 2023,

September 2025: Sawariya Green in Dhediya on 12.13 acres acquired from Shri Siddhivinayak Devcons in September 2024

November 2025: Shree Sawariya Residency in Nanakheda on 3.7 acres purchased in June 2024.

Responding on behalf of uncle Nilesh, Anant Yadav said: “Our family has been in realty business since 2010 when my father developed a 100-bigha property in Ujjain. My uncle has various Sawariya housing projects. As private individuals, we have every right to buy, develop or sell any private land. Should we shut down just because the CM happens to be from the family?”

Govind, alias Bablu Yadav, and his younger brother Nilesh are sons of Mohan Yadav’s uncle Shankarlal and aunt Annapurna Yadav. Together, the brothers have spearheaded the Yadav family’s land-purchasing drive since late 2023 — around the time Mohan Yadav became chief minister.

Govind has purchased at least 46 acres — either on his own or with his sons Siddharth and Anant, or with business partners Nemichand Jain, Kashiram Patidar and Pawan Bohra — in and around Ujjain since 2024.

Nilesh runs at least two companies — Shri Annapurna Construction and Shree Annapurna Enterprises — with wife Sunita. Since 2024, Nilesh and wife Sunita have purchased at least 78 acres in and around Ujjain.

Key Takeaways:

Family Buys Land

CM Mohan Yadav’s family purchased 137 plots (168 acres) in Ujjain for ₹45 crore since he became CM in Dec 2023.

Buyers include his wife, son’s wife, brothers, cousins, and four family-run real estate companies.

Roads Fuel Value

Around 111 of the 168 acres bought lie adjacent to new highway or road projects announced by Yadav’s government.

Key hotspots: Gangedi, Unhel, Jaiwantpura, Chandesara — all near roads being newly built or widened.

Master Plan Angle

Family holdings overlap nearly every zone in Ujjain where land use was changed from agricultural to residential.

In Pandyakhedi, 18 acres were bought in an area newly tagged “commercial” under the 2023 Master Plan.

Pre-CM Land Bank

Before becoming CM, family already held 108 plots (179 acres); 85 acres were added when Yadav was EdMin.

Post-December 2023, purchases accelerated sharply — 62 plots spanning 92 acres were added in 2025 alone.

CM Stays Silent

CM Yadav and his office did not respond to the detailed questionnaire sent by The Indian Express.

State officials spoke only on condition of anonymity, defending the family’s land transactions.

Narrow Family Defined

Officials argued scrutiny should cover only the CM’s wife, son, and daughter-in-law — not extended relatives.

They said “nothing major” would be found if the inquiry were limited to just the immediate family.

Realty Predates Power

One official said the CM’s extended family has been in real estate “for a while” before his political ascent.

Linking their business activity to the CM’s role in government was described as “not correct.”

Sales Cited as Defence

Officials noted that not all plots purchased were retained — some were sold subsequently as part of business.

They framed the transactions as routine commercial activity, not politically motivated acquisitions.

Cousins Push Back

Govind Yadav’s son Anant said the family has been in realty since 2010, well before Yadav’s ministerial rise.

On Gangedi, he said land deals dated to 2020 and the highway clearance came in 2019 — before Yadav was CM.

Gangedi Goes Commercial

Cousin Govind Yadav and associates bought 41 acres across 16 deals in Gangedi between April 2024 and July 2025.

Within months, all plots were handed to Indore-based Shanti Mahalok Builders in five tranches for development.

Builder Deal Terms

Under one agreement, Shanti Mahalok builds at its own cost and returns 67.8% of developed units to Govind.

A second set of plots was transferred on a 60:40 split between the landowner and the builder.

Sawariya Brand Grows

Cousin Nilesh Yadav launched four housing schemes under the Sawariya brand via Shri Annapurna Construction.

All four were registered with MP RERA between October 2024 and November 2025 across key Ujjain localities.

Four Projects Listed

Sawariya Dham (Karadiya, 7.5 acres), Sawariya Dreams (Chandesera, 5 acres) were registered in late 2024.

Sawariya Green (Dhediya, 12.13 acres) and Sawariya Residency (Nanakheda, 3.7 acres) followed in 2025.

Cousins Lead Charge

Govind and Nilesh — sons of Mohan Yadav’s uncle — have spearheaded the family’s land drive since late 2023.

Together they acquired over 124 acres since 2024; Nilesh alone with wife Sunita purchased at least 78 acres.