Ujjain Land Rush: CM Mohan Yadav's Cousins Buy and Develop 168 Acres Since His Appointment

Since Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assumed office in December 2023, his family members have significantly increased their real estate holdings in and around Ujjain. According to land records and registration documents, the chief minister's cousins Govind Yadav and Nilesh Yadav, along with their associates, have purchased at least 168 acres of land through 137 separate transactions, valued at approximately ₹45 crore.

The acquisitions are concentrated in areas such as Gangedi, Karadiya, Chandesera, Dhediya, and Nanakheda, which have seen infrastructure upgrades including the widening of the Ujjain-Badnagar and Ujjain-Indore highways. These projects were approved before Mohan Yadav became chief minister, with highway work cleared in 2019.

In Gangedi, Govind Yadav and his partners purchased 41 acres between April 2024 and July 2025. Within months, these plots were transferred to Indore-based builder Shanti Mahalok Builders under development agreements. Under one agreement, the builder will develop the land at its own cost and return 67.8% of the developed property to Govind Yadav and partners. Another agreement with a different parcel stipulates a 60:40 split of ownership between the landowner and builder.

Govind Yadav's son Anant Yadav explained the transactions: "Our agreement with the builder is based purely on the appreciating value of the land and the fixed cost of development." He added that the land purchases were initiated in 2020, before Mohan Yadav became a minister, and that his father is not the sole owner but part of a group of seven private partners.

Nilesh Yadav, the other cousin, is developing multiple housing projects under the Sawariya brand through his company Shri Annapurna Construction. Since October 2024, he has registered four new schemes with the Madhya Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA): Shri Sawariya Dham (Karadiya, 7.5 acres), Sawariya Dreams (Chandesera, 5 acres), Sawariya Green (Dhediya, 12.13 acres), and Shree Sawariya Residency (Nanakheda, 3.7 acres). These projects are on land purchased between July 2023 and June 2024.

Anant Yadav, responding on behalf of Nilesh, 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?"

Records show that Govind Yadav has purchased at least 46 acres since 2024, either individually or with his sons Siddharth and Anant, or with business partners Nemichand Jain, Kashiram Patidar, and Pawan Bohra. Nilesh Yadav and his wife Sunita have purchased at least 78 acres since 2024 through their companies Shri Annapurna Construction and Shree Annapurna Enterprises.

Shanti Mahalok Builders co-owner Mehul Mehta declined to comment on the matter.