In the corridors of power, where weddings often become a medium to display grandeur, power and prestige, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav is setting a different example. On November 30, the marriage of his younger son Abhimanyu Yadav with Ishita Yadav Patel will take place in a simple and very simple ceremony on the banks of Kshipra river in Ujjain. 21 other couples will also tie the knot in the same programme.
According to a senior official, “There will be no lavish decorations here, no glittering halls, no ostentation. This ceremony is focused only on the values that really matter.” He said that all the guests have also been requested not to bring gifts. This is not the first time. The wedding of the Chief Minister’s elder son Vaibhav Yadav was also conducted in a very simple manner in Rajasthan last year. Officials say that behind this decision, CM Yadav has a clear message – “Love, respect and social harmony are better than any other.” There are greater values than superficial opulence.”
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Let us tell you that the personal life of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also reflects this thinking. His official residence has a beautiful lake view, open garden and cow shed, which he himself takes care of. He maintains spiritual inclination by staying connected to his roots. After becoming the Chief Minister, in an interview given to the media, he had told why his wife and children do not live with him in the CM House. He says, “If my children live in this environment, their studies will be disrupted. As responsibilities increase, paying more attention to family can weaken the duties.” When he became the Chief Minister, his son was doing MS after MBBS and lived in a hostel. Daughter also stayed in hostel during MBBS. According to the CM, “There is positive thinking in the family and the children understand that they have to make their own path.” He had said that his wife lives with the entire family in his ancestral house.
Dr. Mohan Yadav tells that he was taught self-reliance since childhood. From the age of 16, he ran a restaurant along with his studies. He wants to see this ideology in his children also. He had said that “when they reach their destination, they will be entitled to it. Right now they should not avail any special facility.”
Talking about political background, Dr. Mohan Yadav, who has been deeply associated with RSS, has been elected MLA from Ujjain South thrice and has been the Higher Education Minister in the Shivraj government. In the 2023 assembly elections, he won this seat by 12,941 votes. After BJP’s landslide victory in the assembly elections, he was given the responsibility of Chief Minister.
If seen, the news of Dr. Mohan Yadav giving priority to simplicity in two consecutive family programs is not just a family decision, but an important signal for Indian politics. At a time when display of political power often comes in the form of ostentatious grandeur at weddings, festivals and private events, CM Yadav’s move shows an alternative path—where the glow of leadership is determined not by expensive decorations, but by values and behavior.
Making the marriages of his two sons limited, restrained and socially inclusive is not just a personal choice, but a message that the dignity of public office demands discipline and simplicity in personal life too. This step instills confidence among the common people that basic morality and simple lifestyle is also possible if the leadership wants it.
Similarly, the decision of not allowing one’s children to live in the CM house is also unusual in modern Indian politics. On one hand, questions are often raised about dynasty and family influence, on the other hand, Dr. Mohan Yadav puts forward a different mentality by saying that “the greater the stature, the greater the caution.” The learning of self-reliance is a moral message not only for their children but also for the governance system that politics is not a place of privileges but of responsibility.
Although critics may call it an ‘image building’ exercise, it is also true that behavior matters more than appearance in public life. When a Chief Minister is seen publicly following discipline, simplicity and values in his personal life, it strengthens the ethics of democracy a little more. The question is whether this simplicity will become a new standard in Indian politics? Or will it be limited to only a few exceptions? If this trend is widely adopted, the character of politics will change, where not the grandeur of programmes, but the quality of work and personal honesty will become the identity of leadership. However, this decision of CM Mohan Yadav is an example which leaves a slow but effective echo of simplicity amidst the noise of power.