BSP supremo Mayawati announced a significant shake-up within her party on Sunday, removing her nephew, Akash Anand, from all party positions. She firmly stated that she would not name a successor during her lifetime, emphasising that the party’s interests come before personal ties. This move follows a similar decision last year when she sacked Akash, only to reinstate him later and designate him as her political heir.
Why was Akash Anand removed?
Akash Anand’s removal comes shortly after his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, was expelled from the BSP last month on charges of factionalism and anti-party activities. Mayawati accused Siddharth of dividing the party into two factions nationwide, which she said negatively impacted Akash’s political career.
Key leadership appointments
In a bid to strengthen the party, Mayawati appointed her brother, Anand Kumar, and senior leader Ramji Gautam as national coordinators. She praised Anand Kumar, who also serves as BSP’s national vice-president, for his dedication to the party and his role in managing legal and administrative matters. She also mentioned that her brother deliberately chose non-political alliances for his children’s marriages to prevent conflicts of interest, a move she contrasted with Siddharth’s alleged damage to the party.
During a meeting with senior BSP leaders, Mayawati outlined the party’s roadmap, emphasising the need to expand its influence across all social sections. She criticised both the central and Uttar Pradesh governments for their handling of inflation, poverty, and unemployment, calling recent government budgets “unrealistic” and detached from the struggles of marginalised communities.
She hit out at the Samajwadi Party (SP), mocking its loss in the Milkipur Assembly bypoll despite BSP not contesting the election. She questioned whom the SP would blame for the defeat and asserted that only BSP’s Ambedkarite policies could effectively challenge the BJP and other caste-based parties.