Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has re-inducted her nephew Akash Anand to the party after his public apology, giving him “one more chance” but asserting that she would continue to lead the outfit.
Anand was first removed from all key positions in the party and then expelled by the BSP supremo in March. At that time, Mayawati had said that her nephew had come under the influence of his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth.
The latest decision came after a series of public posts Sunday made by Akash on ‘X’, in which he sought forgiveness, acknowledged his mistakes, and pledged to align himself fully with Mayawati’s leadership.
In fact, Akash publicly apologised for being under the influence of his father-in-law and former BSP leader Ashok Siddharth. He vowed not to take political advice from any relative or advisor, stating that he considered Mayawati his “sole political guru and role model.”
Subsequently, Mayawati gave her nephew another chance, but said she would not appoint anyone as her successor as she is in good health. The BSP chief said that she would continue to lead the party in the current scenario.
“In light of Shri Akash Anand’s four public posts on X — in which he acknowledged his mistakes, expressed full respect for senior leaders, and pledged not to be influenced by his father-in-law in the future while dedicating his life to the BSP and its movement — the decision has been taken to give him one more chance,” Mayawati posted in Hindi on ‘X’.
“I am in good health, and as long as I remain fully healthy, I will continue to work with complete dedication and sincerity for the party and the movement, just like the respected Kanshi Ram ji. Therefore, the question of naming a successor does not arise at all. I stand firm on this decision and will continue to do so.”
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister asserted that she was not going to pardon Siddharth. “However, the mistakes of Akash’s father-in-law, Shri Ashok Siddharth, are unpardonable. His involvement in factionalism and other extremely anti-party activities, as well as his role in derailing Akash’s political career, leaves no room for forgiveness or any possibility of being taken back into the party,” she said.
In February, the BSP chief had expelled Siddharth on grounds of encouraging groupism and being involved in anti-party activities. A former Rajya Sabha MP, Siddharth had been in charge of the party in various southern states.
A BSP functionary called Mayawat’s latest move as “strategic” as it came on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanti (14 April) to send a message to the party workers.
“Behan ji had an issue with Ashok Siddharth, who started considering himself a power centre after her daughter’s marriage with Akash. That is why Mayawati first removed Siddharth, whom she blamed for promoting factionalism and undermining party discipline, and later removed Akash, citing Siddharth’s undue influence on him through his daughter. ‘For this, not the party, but his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth is completely responsible, she had said,” the functionary recalled.
Some other functionaries said that Mayawati’s decision to reinstate her nephew signals a strategic move to stabilise and potentially rejuvenate the party, which has faced significant electoral setbacks in recent years.
On the other hand, Akash, 31, represents a younger face for the BSP, which could help attract Dalit youths, who have been drifting toward emerging Dalit leaders like Chandrashekhar Azad of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram).
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Second comeback within a year
With this pardon from his aunt, Akash has made a comeback in the party for the second time within a year. In March, Mayawati had sacked him for anti-party activities and appointed his father, Anand Kumar, and senior leader Ramji Gautam as national coordinators. She also stated that she would not name a successor in her lifetime.
During the 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Mayawati had dropped Akash as her political heir as well as the party’s national coordinator, citing that he needs to attain “maturity” before assuming important roles. Later in June 2024, Mayawati announced a change in ranks, reinstated Akash as both the party national coordinator and her “successor”.
Lucknow-based political analyst Shilp Shikha Singh said that the former chief minister has kept her next move under wraps.
“By bringing Akash back after his public apology for past mistakes, Mayawati has explicitly ruled out naming a successor during her lifetime, suggesting she intends to lead for now but sees Anand as a key figure to groom,” Singh, assistant professor at Lucknow’s Giri Institute of Development Studies, told ThePrint.
“This could stabilise the party by putting a stop to the uncertainties about leadership, which have been raising questions about the BSP’s future since Anand’s earlier expulsions.But Mayawati is still very unpredictable. One needs to wait for her next move.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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