He studied at Dholpur Military School in Dholpur, Rajasthan and subsequently was awarded a degree in environmental engineering while studying in Mysore. He went to Australia to study for a master's degree in the same subject. Akhilesh gives credit to Janeshwar Mishra who intiated him to join politics. He was credited for assisting the party's rise from having 97 seats in the 2007 Vidhan Sabha to a total of 224 and was subsequently elected the 20th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by the party's MLAs.