Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday said she has removed nephew Akash Anand as her successor and national coordinator of the party until he becomes politically ‘mature’.
In a series of social media posts in Hindi on X, Mayawati reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the ideals of Dr BR Ambedkar. She said, “It is known that the BSP, apart from being a party, is also a movement for self-respect and self-esteem of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and social change for which Honourable Shri Kanshi Ram Ji and I have dedicated our entire lives and a new generation is also being prepared to give it momentum.”
“In this direction, along with promoting other people in the party, I had declared Shri Akash Anand as the National Coordinator and my successor. But in the larger interest of the party and the movement, he is being removed from both these important responsibilities until he attains full maturity,” she said.
However, her brother and Akash’s father Anand Kumar will continue to fulfill his responsibilities as before, Mayawati said in a separate post.
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“The BSP leadership is not going to shy away from making every sacrifice in the interest of the party and the movement and in taking forward the caravan of Baba Saheb Dr Ambedkar,” she said.
The surprise decision came on the day voting was held for the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls in the country.
Mayawati announced her decision 10 days after Akash, along with other party leaders, was booked by Sitapur police in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity, among other charges under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act.
In a video of his address at an election rally, Akash was heard calling the BJP government “gaddaron ki sarkar” (a government of traitors) and urging people to hit representatives of other parties seeking votes with shoes and slippers.
After the case was filed on April 28, Akash returned to Delhi and all his upcoming rallies in different constituencies were cancelled, Indian Express reported.
BSP supremo Mayawati had declared Akash Anand her successor in December last year and had given him the key responsibility of the party’s national coordinator. He played an active role in spearheading the party’s campaign in the Rajasthan Assembly polls last year.