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Sharad Yadav Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth1 July 1947

Age75 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceAnkhmau village, Hoshangabad district (now Narmadapuram), Madhya Pradesh, India

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseDr Rekha Yadav

FamilySon - Shantanu Bundela; Daughter - Subhashini Raja Rao; Father - Nand Kishore Yadav; Mother - Sumitra Devi

Sharad Yadav Biography

Sharad Yadav was an Indian politician and long-serving parliamentarian who helped found major Janata formations, served in multiple Lok Sabha and Rajya Sab

Early life and background

Sharad Yadav was born Sharad Ahir on 1 July 1947 in Ankhmau village, then part of Hoshangabad district in the Central Provinces and Berar (now Narmadapuram district, Madhya Pradesh). He grew up in a rural household; his father Nand Kishore Yadav worked as a farmer and his mother Sumitra Devi was a homemaker. He attended Municipal Higher Secondary School in Itarsi and later studied at Robertson College (now Government Science College) and the Government College of Engineering in Jabalpur, earning a BSc in 1964 and a BE in Electrical Engineering in 1970. He was a gold medalist in his engineering degree.

While a student he became active in campus politics and served as president of the student union. Influenced by the socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia and drawn into the broader movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan, he took part in mass student protests and was detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) on multiple occasions.

Career

Sharad Yadav’s political career began in the 1970s with his association with the Bharatiya Lok Dal. In 1974 he contested and won a Lok Sabha by-election from Jabalpur while incarcerated for his political activities; he later resigned from the Lok Sabha in 1976 in protest against an extension of parliamentary terms. He retained the Jabalpur seat in the 1977 general election and became part of the Janata Party after the Lok Dal merged with other opposition formations.

Over the following decades Yadav played leading roles in several parties that emerged from the Janata movement. He served as president of the youth wing Yuva Janata Dal in 1978 and held party offices including general secretary of Lokdal. He moved between formations such as Janata Party (Secular), Janata Dal, and later co-founded Janata Dal (United) in 2003 and the Loktantrik Janata Dal in 2018.

His parliamentary career spanned both houses and multiple states. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar at various times, and he served terms in the Rajya Sabha representing Uttar Pradesh and later Bihar. Within parliament he chaired and participated in numerous committees, including the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Urban Development, the Committee on Industry and several joint committees that examined high-profile legislation and parliamentary administration.

Yadav held several union cabinet portfolios in the governments of the 1990s and early 2000s. His ministerial responsibilities included Textiles and Food Processing Industries (1989–1990), Civil Aviation (1999–2001), Labour (2001–2002), and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (2002–2004). He also served as president of Janata Dal from 1999 to 2004 and chaired the party’s parliamentary board at different points.

Throughout his career he contested multiple Lok Sabha elections from the Madhepura constituency in Bihar and stood as a candidate at several other elections; his record includes both victories and losses. He remained active in parliamentary work into the 2010s, with committee assignments on petroleum and natural gas, ethics, and heritage and security related matters in the Parliament House complex, among others.

Public profile

Yadav was known for his long association with socialist politics and for being a prominent organizer within the Janata family of parties. His interests included classical music, reading history and participating in cultural activities. He was part of a political family: his wife Rekha Yadav was an educationist and activist, and two of his children, Shantanu Bundela and Subhashini Raja Rao, were also involved in public life.

Like many public figures with a long political career, Yadav attracted controversy at times for remarks that provoked criticism. Public reporting recorded incidents where his comments on women and other subjects were widely discussed and prompted responses from political opponents and media outlets.

Latest updates

Sharad Yadav died on 12 January 2023 in Gurugram, Haryana, following a cardiac arrest. He was 75 years old.

At the time of his death he was married to Dr Rekha Yadav; the couple had married on 15 February 1989. His surviving immediate family included his children and siblings, two of whom were named: an elder brother SPS Yadav, a retired education officer, and the late Ravishankar Yadav, who had been active in politics.

Yadav’s public record includes a long list of parliamentary and party roles spanning more than four decades, reflecting his sustained presence in India’s post-emergency political landscape and his role in building several regional and national party formations.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Sharad Yadav, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Co-founded Loktantrik Janata Dal

Helped form the Loktantrik Janata Dal in 2018 after a long career in Janata-family politics.

2018
Co-founded Janata Dal (United)

Co-founder of Janata Dal (United) in 2003 and served as a senior leader within the party.

2003
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Career Highlights

  1. Elected multiple times to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha representing constituencies in MP, UP and Bihar
  2. Held union cabinet portfolios including Civil Aviation, Labour, Consumer Affairs and Textiles
  3. Served as president of Janata Dal and chaired several parliamentary committees
  4. Co-founded Janata Dal (United) and later the Loktantrik Janata Dal
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Sharad Yadav born?

Sharad Yadav was born on 1 July 1947.

What is Sharad Yadav known for?

Sharad Yadav is known for politician.

What is Sharad Yadav’s marital status?

Sharad Yadav's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Sharad Yadav married to?

Sharad Yadav is publicly listed as married to Dr Rekha Yadav.