LUCKNOW: In an open endorsement to ‘dynastic politics’, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday declared her nephew Akash Anand as her political heir at an all-India meeting of the party here. Twenty-seven-year-old Akash, an MBA from London, has been active in the party since 2017 and, at present, he is a national coordinator. He is the son of Mayawati’s younger brother Anand Kumar.
Although the press statement issued after the meeting doesn’t mention the development, the party’s lone MLA in UP, Uma Shankar Singh, confirmed that the development. BSP’s Shahjahanpur district unit chief Udayveer Singh told reporters that Akash has been declared the ‘uttaradhikari’ by Mayawati.
BSP MLC Bhim Rao Ambedkar also confirmed the announcement. “We have got a youth leader in Akash Anand. In states where the party organisation is weak, Anand will be strengthening it,” he said. “Anand has been associated with the BSP since 2017. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he addressed a rally in Agra,” Ambedkar said. According to a BSP statement, Mayawati called upon party workers to increase the party’s support base.