In a drastic turn of events, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday removed her nephew Akash Anand from his position as her successor and national coordinator of the party until he becomes politically ‘mature’.
The dismissal comes just five months after she designated him as the apparent heir followed by a key meeting of party officials in Lucknow in December 2023. Notably, Mayawati’s announcement coincided with the polling day for the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election 2024.
The exact reason behind Mayawati’s decision remains unclear. However, the sacking of her nephew comes just 10 days after 28-year-old Akash Anand, along with other party leaders, was booked by the Sitapur police in Uttar Pradesh for violating the Model Code of Conduct, for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity.
During the December 2023 meeting, Mayawati had stated that Akash would focus on strengthening the party in states other than Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In his inaugural rally for the current Lok Sabha elections last month, Akash extensively criticised the BJP, shifting from Mayawati’s usual targets – Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP).
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Last month, in one of his first poll rallies since then, and the first for the current Lok Sabha elections, Akash targeted the BJP at length, in a departure from Mayawati, who has focused her attacks on the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) in recent years.
Akash Anand and his role in BSP
Akash, the nephew of Mayawati, completed his schooling in Delhi and his MBA in London. He returned to India in 2017 and accompanied Mayawati to Saharanpur in May the same year, following a Thakur-Dalit clash.
In September 2017, after the BJP’s significant victory in UP, Mayawati introduced Akash to party workers. By the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Akash was actively involved in the party, credited with getting Mayawati to join the social media platform X.
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When the Election Commission imposed a 48-hour ban on Mayawati from campaigning during the elections, Akash seized the opportunity to make his debut rally appearance. Encouraging support for the BSP and its allies, SP and RLD, Akash stood on stage with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and then RLD president Ajit Singh, a gesture laden with symbolic significance.
In the 2019 elections, when the BSP secured the second-highest number of seats in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati entrusted Akash with an important role. She made him the party’s national coordinator and charged him with the task of rallying young people, especially from the Dalit community, to strengthen the BSP’s influence.
Following the 2019 results, where the BSP won 10 seats in UP, Mayawati saw potential in Akash and appointed him as the party’s national coordinator. She believed he could attract youth, particularly from the Dalit community, to join the BSP.
However, after the disappointing outcome of the UP Assembly polls in December 2022, where the BSP only managed to secure one seat, Mayawati decided to send Akash on a mission. She wanted him to travel across the state and gather accurate reports on the party’s activities.
Akash’s responsibilities expanded further. He was put in charge of the BSP’s preparations for Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh. His main focus was to craft campaigns addressing issues concerning Dalits, religious minorities, OBCs, and tribals.