Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has dismissed her nephew, Akash Anand, from the party for a second time, shortly after removing him from his role as chief national coordinator. This move follows the retirement announcement of Anand’s father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, from active politics. Despite earlier indications from Mayawati that Anand might return to a party role if Siddharth retired, she has now declared that Anand is entirely free from any responsibilities within the BSP.
In her recent statements, Mayawati criticized both Siddharth and Anand, accusing them of prioritizing personal and family interests over the ambitions of the BSP and its Ambedkarite movement. She highlighted Siddharth’s delayed retirement as evidence that his priorities were unchanged, and questioned Anand’s dedication to the party’s cause. This decision is the latest in a series of setbacks for Anand, who was removed from his position as national coordinator in May 2024, and was also dropped as Mayawati’s political successor following a controversy during the Lok Sabha election campaign. Although he was later reinstated and reappointed to his coordinator role in May 2025, his position remains unstable.
Mayawati recently expressed doubts about Anand’s maturity in managing significant organizational duties, further complicating his standing within the party. Simultaneously, she has introduced her younger nephew, Ishan Anand, to senior party figures, suggesting a potential shift in family dynamics within the BSP. Anand, who had been groomed as Mayawati’s successor since his appointment as national coordinator in 2019 and his formal designation as her political heir in December 2023, now finds himself sidelined as the BSP gears up for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. He had been active in party rallies, most recently addressing gatherings in Hathras and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Despite the internal party calls for a younger leadership, Mayawati, now 70, has reaffirmed her commitment to leading the BSP. She remains determined to oversee crucial aspects of the party’s strategy, including candidate selection, campaigning, and fundraising for the upcoming 2027 elections. Her leadership stance underscores her resolve to guide the BSP through the electoral challenges ahead, even as questions over succession and party unity persist.