Mayawati Re-Appoints Nephew Akash Anand As BSP National Coordinator After Party's Poor Show In Lok Sabha Polls

Weeks after failing to secure a single seat in the Lok Sabha elections, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has reinstated her nephew Akash Anand as her political heir and the party’s national coordinator.

The decision was made during a meeting in Lucknow to review the party’s poor performance in the 2024 elections.

All national office-bearers and party leaders from various states, including Anand, attended the meeting.

Earlier in May, Mayawati had removed Anand from his position, stating that he was being removed "until he attains maturity."

Announcing her decision before the polls, Mayawati had said, “It is known that the BSP, apart from being a party, is also a movement for self-respect and self-esteem of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and social change, for which Honourable Shri Kanshi Ram Ji and I have dedicated our entire lives."

She further added, "A new generation is being prepared to give it momentum. In this direction, along with promoting other people in the party, I had declared Shri Akash Anand as the National Coordinator and my successor, but in the larger interest of the party and the movement, he is being divested of both these important responsibilities until he attains full maturity.”

Anand was removed after being booked by the Sitapur police in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity, among other charges under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act.

The charges followed an election rally where he referred to the BJP government as “gaddaron ki sarkar” (a government of traitors).

The BSP fielded candidates in 424 Lok Sabha seats across the country, including 79 in Uttar Pradesh, but none were victorious.

According to a report from The Indian Express, some candidates also cited Anand's removal as a possible reason for the shift of Muslim and Dalit votes from the BSP to the SP-Congress alliance.

They also suggested that his removal might have impacted young voters who preferred to hear from a younger leader.

For the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Anand was expected to lead the party’s campaign after Mayawati and had held around 20 election rallies before his removal.

The BSP had announced Akash Anand as Mayawati’s successor in December last year, simultaneously appointing him as the party’s national coordinator.

He also played an active role in the party’s campaign during the 2023 Rajasthan state Assembly elections.