Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has announced the expulsion of her nephew Akash Anand from the BSP, just months ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections.
The move came a day after Anand’s father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, announced his retirement from politics. Mayawati had reportedly offered to give Anand a position and responsibility in the party if Siddharth stepped away from politics.
Although Siddharth accepted the proposal and announced his retirement, Mayawati on Thursday decided to go a step further and remove Anand from the BSP altogether.
The decision marks another major setback for Anand, who had earlier been relieved of the post of BSP national coordinator.
In a post on X, Mayawati said Siddharth had taken too long to decide to leave politics but had ultimately made the right choice.
She said that if Siddharth had retired earlier, the Bahujan movement and Anand would not have faced continued difficulties. According to Mayawati, an earlier decision could also have prevented her from having to take tough organisational measures while leaving election preparations and work for the Bahujan movement midway.
Mayawati also questioned Siddharth’s motives, saying that if he had genuinely been concerned about his son-in-law’s future or the wider interests of the Bahujan movement, he would have announced his retirement much earlier.
She said the delay suggested that Siddharth’s ambitions had not diminished and that questions remained over his intentions.
Mayawati also expressed her displeasure with Anand, saying he appeared more concerned about his father-in-law than his own political career.
She wrote that Anand had not even considered reposting a BSP post that, according to her, was intended for his own benefit. Mayawati said this further suggested that both Siddharth and Anand were more attached to personal or family interests than to the success of the party and the Bahujan movement.
The BSP chief also reminded the two that the party had helped them, along with many others, rise from humble beginnings to positions of prominence. She said the gratitude they owed the BSP and its leadership could not be overstated.
Mayawati questioned how Anand could work for the party’s interests if his attachment to family relationships was stronger than his commitment to the BSP and the Bahujan movement.
She said party members therefore felt it was better to completely free Anand from the organisation, just as he had earlier been removed from the important position of national coordinator.
Mayawati said that if Anand wanted to remain independent of the party, he was free to do so. She concluded by stating that he was being completely relieved of his association with the BSP.
