New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) chief Mayawati on Sunday reinstated her nephew Akash Anand as the party’s national coordinator and announced him as her successor. “Mayawati has reinstated Akash Anand to his post and made him the National Coordinator,” BSP leader Sarwar Malik said confirming the development, News18 reported.
Earlier, on May 7, Mayawati removed Anand from his role as national coordinator and also her political successor calling him not ‘fully mature.’ Akash’s campaign events were also cancelled.
Akash Anand started his political journey in 2017 at the age of 22. He holds an MBA degree from London.
In June 2019, during BSP’s national executive meeting, Anand was made the party’s national coordinator. The 29-year-old was designated as Mayawati’s political heir in December last year. The exact reason for the move remains unclear but it came soon after he was booked by the Sitapur police in Uttar Pradesh, along with other party members, for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the Lok Sabha Election 2024 after made derogatory remarks against BJP.
However, after a series of setbacks, especially the debacle during the Lok Sabha polls, the BSP cadres had been seeking a change in leadership for the party’s survival. Quoting the party cadres, news agency IANS reported, adding that BSP performance deteriorated after Akash Anand was restricted from campaigning.
Notably, the BSP has not won any seats in the Lok Sabha elections and is left with just one seat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Its status as a national party is also at risk. This is the party’s worst electoral performance since its inception in 1984.
