Mayawati reinstates nephew Akash Anand as BSP’s National Coordinator, political heir

Lucknow: After removing him from the key post over a month ago, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday, reinstated her nephew Akash Anand to the post of the party's National Coordinator and named him her political successor once again.

Mayawati had axed Akash Anand in the midst of the Lok Sabha election campaign and sated that her decision would stand “till he becomes mature."

However, in a U-turn on Saturday, Mayawati named him as one of the star campaigners for the forthcoming Uttarakhand Assembly bye-elections.

The decision by Mayawati to remove Akash Anand was taken after he drew flak over his aggressive language while campaigning.

An FIR was lodged against him in Sitapur when he called the Union government a government of terrorists.

"This government is a bulldozer government and a government of traitors. The party that leaves its youth hungry and enslaves its elderly is a terrorist government. Taliban runs such a government in Afghanistan," he had said during an election rally in Sitapur.

Besides Anand, BSP candidates Mahendra Yadav, Shyam Awasthi, and Akshay Kalra and rally organiser Vikas Rajvanshi were booked in the matter by the Sitapur Police.

The BSP supremo had called a meeting on Sunday to review the party's defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting, held at the BSP’s office, mainly focussed on why the party could not win even a single seat in the General Elections in the country.

A discussion was also held on how things can improve in the forthcoming 2027 Assembly elections.

It was at this meeting that Mayawati announced her decision to bring back Akash Anand.

It is noteworthy that party cadres had been rooting for Akash Anand after the BSP’s dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls.