‘Don’t blame CM Mohan Yadav for what his cousins buy’: Officials on Madhya Pradesh investigation

5 min readBhopal, New DelhiJun 23, 2026 06:03 AM IST

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at a ground-breaking ceremony in Indore (ANI)

NEITHER CHIEF Minister Mohan Yadav nor his office commented on a detailed questionnaire sent by The Indian Express on its findings. However, state government officials, on the condition that they not be named, said it was “not correct” to link purchases by the CM’s family and his presence in the government.

“The CM’s extended family has been in the real estate business for a while,” said an official. “To link their businesses with the CM’s rise in politics will not be proper.”

He added that it was also “not correct” to go beyond the Chief Minister’s immediate family in talking about his assets: “When you talk about his family, it should include only his wife, son and daughter-in-law… and there you may not find anything major.”

According to another senior official, the land transactions were not always purchases of plots, and there were cases of some of them being sold subsequently. “All plots purchased are not held forever. These are also sold as part of the business,” the official said.

Responding on behalf of Mohan Yadav’s cousins Govind and Nilesh, Govind Yadav’s son Anant Yadav said: “Our family is in realty business since 2010 when my father developed a 100-bigha property. My uncle has many 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 is from our family?”

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

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, Jaiwantpur, 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 bought 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.