LUCKNOW: Hours after her nephew Akash Anand tendered apology and sought entry into the party, BSP chief Mayawati relented and ended his suspension.
However, she has not reinstated him as her successor.
At the same time, the BSP chief has not forgiven Akash's father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, and he continues to be suspended from the party.
Notably, over a month after being expelled from the party, Akash Anand posted an apology on X, saying: “I apologise for the tweet I did a few days back, following which respected Behenji expelled me from the party.”
Akash was expelled from the party on March 3, which resulted in his removal from the post of BSP national coordinator and as Mayawati’s successor in the party.
Akash extending an olive branch may be a sign of things getting better in the family.
“I will ensure that I take no advice from any relative or advisor for any political decisions,” he said, adding that he will not let his relatives, especially those from the side of his in-laws, be an obstacle in the interests of the party.
Akash’s expulsion from BSP had come close on the suspension of his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, who was expelled on February 12 for promoting factionalism in the party. Siddharth is a former Rajya Sabha MP of BSP and a party old-timer.
Akash had added that he would only follow the directions from ‘Behenji’, respect the elders and old-timers in the party and learn from their experiences. “I appeal to Behenji to forgive my mistakes and give me a chance to work in the party again, for which I will always be thankful to her. I will never make any mistake that will hurt the self-respect and self-esteem of Behenji,” he said.
“I acknowledge Behenji as my only political guru and ideal,” he said. However, his making an apology on a public platform rather than directly reaching out to his aunt may be a sign of a stalemate in the family still continuing.
Mayawati expelled Akash from the party after he put his statement on his removal from party posts on X, which she said was “selfish, arrogant, non-missionary and to have come under the influence of his father-in-law”.
“He (Akash) should have felt remorse and dealt with it with maturity, but the lengthy reaction that he has put is indicative of the influence that his father-in-law has on him rather than his political maturity and him being sorry,” said Mayawati.
She said her decision on Akash came because of Ashok Siddharth. “You all know that Akash Anand is married to Ashok Siddharth’s daughter. We need to seriously think about how much influence Ashok Siddharth will still exert on Akash through his daughter. So far, it has not been positive. In such a situation, and in the interest of the party and the movement, Akash Anand has been removed from all the responsibilities he held.”
A day after, when Akash put his statement on his removal from the party posts on X, Mayawati expelled him from the party. This was the second time that she absolved Akash Anand of his responsibilities in the party.
Last time it was during the Lok Sabha elections on May 7 when it was for his "lack of maturity."
He was reinstated as national coordinator and Mayawati's successor in the party on June 26.