Legacy Tales
Mayawati plans gala wedding for political heir
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati is planning a grand wedding for her nephew Akash Anand, who is also considered to be her political heir. Akash is the son of Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar, who is a real estate developer and was in news when the income tax department attached a property in Noida that was alleged to be his benami holding. Akash has done MBA from London and is marrying the daughter of Ashok Sidharth, Mayawati’s close associate and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. The wedding will take place in Noida, Uttar Pradesh on March 26. Top political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are likely to attend the function for which thousands of party leaders and workers are also being invited. Mayawati has already launched Akash into politics by appointing him as the National Coordinator of the BSP. He accompanies her on political tours and lives with her at her sprawling Sardar Patel Marg residence in New Delhi. BSP workers remember when their party chief first introduced Akash to them. She said: “This is Akash. He will look after party affairs.” BSP sources said that Behenji has left little doubt that Akash will inherit her political legacy and run the party in future.
CWC recast
Kharge trains gun on bigwigs, big changes likely
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to appoint new members of the Congress Working Committee immediately after Holi. Intense lobbying has started for a seat in the party’s highest decision-making body. Sources said that there is no love lost between the party president and the general secretary in-charge of organistion, K C Venugopal. They said if Kharge is left to take his own decision, he would appoint a new GS (Organisation). Another leader who is not particularly in Kharge’s good books is the party’s media department chairman Jairam Ramesh. Jairam and Kharge come from the same state, Karnataka, and the Chanakya from Chikmagalur, as Jairam is referred to by a section of the Congress, has managed to get into the party president’s crosshairs for reasons known only to them. However, both Venugopal and Jairam are close to Rahul Gandhi. It was Rahul who had given them their present position in the party. It will, therefore, be difficult for Kharge to axe the two, unless Rahul decides not to intervene in the team recast. According to sources, if Kharge is allowed a free hand, Venugopal will be replaced by the general secrtary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala. Surjewala is not only close to the party president but also shares excellent rapport with both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Gandhi family loyalist Mukul Wasnik is in the running for the important post of chairman of the department of election strategy and planning. Another party leader Gaurav Vallabh is also a contender for this post. Sources said former media department chairman Ajay Maken and general secretary Jitendra Singh are also in the running for the top posts. The new CWC will have a large number of young leaders as the party has decided to reserve 50% posts for leaders under 50 years of age.