1 week Ago
Over a month after his expulsion from the Bahujan Samaj Party, party president Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand on Sunday publically apologised to his aunt following which she wrote on X that in view of his stance seeking forgiveness for past mistakes, a decision has been taken to give him another chance. The BSP chief, however, reiterated that she will not name a political successor, asserting that she was in good health and would continue working for the Bahujan movement like party founder the late Kanshi Ram. She also said the acts of Akash’s father-in-law Ashok Siddharth are unpardonable and there is no question of taking him back into the party fold.
Earlier in the day, in a series of posts on X, Akash Ahand requested to be provided the opportunity to work in the party again. Akash Anand asked for forgiveness for his past mistakes, saying that he only considers Mayawati as his political guru. He vowed not to let his relatives, especially his in-laws, be a roadblock in the betterment of the party.
“I appeal to her to forgive all my mistakes and give me a chance to work in the party again, for which I will always be grateful to her. Also, I will not make any such mistake in the future which will hurt the self-respect and self-esteem of the party,” he wrote in one of his X posts. Akash stated he had apologized over his previous posts, which led to his expulsion from the party.
He said he will make sure that he follows only the directions and suggestions of Mayawati and respects party loyalists, learning from their experiences. On March 2, Mayawati removed Akash Anand as the national coordinator of the party. The next day, she expelled him from the party.
Mayawati, who had earlier named Akash as her political heir, had stated then also that no one would be her political successor. Instead, she elevated her brother and Akash’s father Anand Kumar after his son’s expulsion. The BSP chief had also expelled Akash’s father-in-law Ashok Siddharth and his close aide and former MP Nitin Singh from the party for involvement in factionalism and anti-party activities.
Siddarth was in-charge of southeastern states for the BSP. On March 5, Akash Anand’s father Anand Kumar, who was national vice president of the party, was made national coordinator after his son’s expulsion from the party. Anand Kumar, however, requested the party chief to allow him to continue working as national vice-president instead of holding additional charge of national coordinator.
Thereafter, Mayawati replaced Anand Kumar on the post with long-time party functionary from Saharanpur Randheer Beniwal, a Jat leader who had handled a major responsibility during Haryana assembly polls last year. Earlier, she had appointed the BSP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Ji Gautam as the party’s second national coordinator. After Beniwal’s appointment, she had stated Beniwal and Gautam will work as national coordinators under her guidance to enhance the BSP’s outreach across the country.
The former UP chief minister had previously sacked Akash Anand during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, only to reinstate him in September last year. She had designated him as her political successor..
