Mayawati reverses decision; reinstates nephew Akash Anand as political heir

Reversing the decision, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday declared Akash Anand, as her successor. Akash Anand will take charge of the national coordinator, informed BSP reader Sarvar Malik.

Earlier, BSP supremo Mayawati removed nephew Akash Anand as her political heir and from party post till he becomes “mature”. Akash Anand was designated as the National Coordinator of the BSP. The party on Saturday released a list of 13 star campaigners for the upcoming Uttarakhand Assembly by-elections. Party chief Mayawati and her nephew Akash Anand are on the list.

Why was Akash Anand removed from the post?The decision by Mayawati to remove her nephew came after Akash Anand was drawing flak over his aggressive language in his addresses. An FIR was lodged against him in Sitapur when he called the central government a government of atankwadis (terrorists).

“This government is a bulldozer government and a government of traitors. The party that leaves its youth hungry and enslaves its elderly is a terrorist government. Taliban runs such a government in Afghanistan,” he had said in criticism of the BJP-led state government.

Besides Anand, BSP candidates Mahendra Yadav, Shyam Awasthi, and Akshay Kalra and rally organiser Vikas Rajvanshi were booked in the matter, Superintendent of Police (Sitapur) Chakresh Mishra had then said.

The case was registered under sections IPC 171C (undue influence at elections), 153B (imputation, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and section 125 of the Representation of People Act.About BSP’s key meeting:The BSP supremo called a meeting on Sunday to review the party’s defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting to be held at the BSP office will mainly focus on why the party could not win even a single seat in the general elections in the country. The discussion will also be held on how things can improve in the upcoming 2027 assembly elections.

Voting for the assembly by-polls in the Badrinath and Manglaur seats will be held on July 10.

The Badrinath seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari resigned and joined the BJP.

The Manglaur seat fell vacant after the death of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari.

Votes will be counted on July 13.

(with agency inputs)