LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati has once again cracked down on her nephew Akash Anand, removing him from the post of national coordinator on Thursday. Akash was also not invited to the party’s national executive meeting held in Lucknow on Thursday.
Justifying her action, Mayawati said Akash still needed to become more mature and that it would not be appropriate to give him a major responsibility in the party until then, especially when very little time was left for the state elections.
“Akash is not yet prepared to deal with all the tactics such as saam, daam, dand, bhed that opponents may use against the party in the days to come,” the former UP Chief Minister added.
“Kanshi Ram also allowed family members and relatives to assist in the party’s work, but he was not in favour of making them contest elections or giving them any position if the government was formed. I, too, remain committed to this view. The BSP’s objective is to ensure the participation of oppressed people in power. In this endeavour, anyone who works in the interest of the BSP and the Bahujan Samaj is welcome,” said the BSP chief while addressing the partymen.
Mayawati held the BSP’s national executive meeting at the party office in Lucknow. At the meeting, she reviewed preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, early next year.
However, for the first time, Akash’s younger brother, Ishan Anand, was seen attending the crucial national executive meeting. Ishan arrived wearing a BSP stole and accompanied Mayawati and his father, Anand Kumar, to the dais.
He remained standing with them until Mayawati took her seat. Ishan had earlier visited the party office with his brother Akash on Mayawati’s birthday in 2024. Besides Ishan, Yukesh Singh, son of late BSP MLA Umashankar Singh, also attended the meeting.
Mayawati had launched both of them three days ago.
Significantly, in the run-up to the UP Assembly polls, the BSP has stepped up preparations and has so far announced in-charges for more than 30 Assembly seats, while over 50 more names have also been shortlisted.