Mayawati appoints nephew Akash Anand as successor to lead BSP

Mayawati, chief of the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), in a party meeting in Lucknow on Sunday (December 10) announced her nephew Akash Anand as her successor to lead the BSP, the party MP Udayveer Singh said on Sunday.

VIDEO | "Mayawati has declared her nephew Akash Anand as her political successor," says BSP leader Udayveer Singh after a party meeting in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/uxMhCME6iX

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 10, 2023

Akash has been associated with the party for many years, but he hogged the limelight ahead of the 2019 Parliamentary elections when he addressed his first rally after the Election Commission of India banned Mayawati for 48 hours.    

10-12-2023-BSP Press Note-All-India Meeting pic.twitter.com/46RetViMhH

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) December 10, 2023

Akash is the BSP's national coordinator at present.

10-12-2023-BSP Press Release-All-India party meeting pic.twitter.com/vn6ZH9C6rk

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) December 10, 2023

The development of Akash being announced as the new BSP chiaef came on the back of the party decidign to suspend MP Danish Ali, accusing him of involvement in anti-party activities. In response, Ali has refuted the allegations, asserting that he has never engaged in any actions contrary to the party's interests.

Earlier, the party on Saturday (December 9, 2023) communicated its decision to suspend Ali through a written letter.

"You have been told several times not to comment or act, which goes against the policies, ideologies, and discipline of the party. Despite this, you have been acting against the party," the letter read.

"It is important to remind you that till 2018, you were working as a member of Dewe Gowdaji's Janata Party and actively participated in the Karnataka assembly polls, which were fought by the BSP and the Janata Party together in an alliance. After the results of the Karnataka assembly polls, you were given the ticket as a BSP candidate from the Amroha assembly constituency at the request of Dewe Gowdaji. Before this, Dewe Gowdaji had assured that you would follow all the policies and directions given by the party and act in tune with the interests of the party. You also repeated the same," it added.

In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mayawati announced that her nephew would become a part of the BSP movement to get familiar with the intricacies of politics.