Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Sunday appointed Akash Anand as her party’s chief national coordinator, a post that was especially carved out for her nephew whose stocks are now up again.
Akash, who was expelled from the BSP in March only to be re-inducted a month later, has now been virtually handed the second most powerful post in the party, BSP insiders said. In the new role, he will monitor party activities of all three national coordinators and state presidents of the BSP.
“With the agreement of party members, Akash Anand has been made the party’s chief national coordinator and assigned future programmes of the party across the country,” a BSP press statement said.
In a post put up in Hindi on ‘X’, Akash expressed his gratitude to the BSP supremo for forgiving his mistakes and giving him an opportunity to contribute in strengthening the Bahujan mission and movement. He further promised not to disappoint her.
आज बी.एस.पी की आल-इंडिया बैठक में शामिल होने का मौका मिला। सभी पदाधिकारियों को पूरे देश में पार्टी को मजबूत करने के लिए आदरणीय बहन कु. मायावती जी का मार्गदर्शन और जरूरी दिशा-निर्देश मिला।
आदरणीय बहन जी ने मुझे पार्टी के मुख्य नेशनल कोआर्डिनेटर पद की जिम्मेदारी दी है।
मैं आदरणीय…— Akash Anand (@AnandAkash_BSP) May 18, 2025
Mayawati, BSP functionaries said, has made it clear that Akash will lead the party’s upcoming programmes and yatras across the states. She also announced that the BSP would contest the Bihar elections on its own. “Separate discussion held on Bihar polls, and the party decided to fight it alone with all its strength,” the BSP statement reads.
Though Mayawati did not announce that Akash will be her political heir again, a new post of the chief national coordinator was created for him. According to senior party functionaries, the BSP never had any such post.
This, they said, is now the second most powerful position in the party. “Those who were against Akash now will have to report directly to Akash ji only. So, he is again a power centre. Imagine the shrewdness of Behan ji (Mayawati). She knows how to be involved in politics. Akash is still the unannounced ‘Uttaraadhikari’ (political heir),” a senior BSP functionary told ThePrint.
Mayawati had re-inducted Akash into the BSP last month after he publicly apologised for being under the influence of his father-in-law and former BSP leader Ashok Sidharth.
The decision came after a series of public posts made by Akash in which he sought forgiveness, acknowledged his mistakes, and pledged to align himself fully with Mayawati’s leadership. 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 agreed to give her nephew another chance but said she would not appoint anyone as her successor. The BSP chief had further said she would continue to lead the party. She, however, made it clear that she was not going to pardon Ashok Sidharth, whom she expelled from the party in March.
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 such important roles. Later in June 2024, Mayawati announced a change in ranks, reinstated Akash as both the party national coordinator and her ‘successor’ before being expelled earlier this year. Now within a year, Akash has made another comeback—this time, he has been re-inducted with a promotion and more power.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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