Mayawati’s nephew, Akash Anand, seeks return to Bahujan Samaj Party, apologizes for past mistakes

Mayawati’s nephew, Akash Anand, seeks return to Bahujan Samaj Party, apologizes for past mistakes

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati’s Akash Anand, who was expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) last month following a major reshuffle, has appealed to party chief Mayawati to allow him back into the party. Mayawati had accused him of being influenced by his father-in-law, Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth, who was also previously expelled from the party.

In a post on X, Anand, Mayawati's nephew, expressed that he sees her as his "one and only political guru and role model." He said he would not to let his personal relationships, especially with his in-laws, affect his dedication to the party. "I take a solemn vow that I will not allow any family ties, particularly my in-laws, to become an obstacle in the interest of the Bahujan Samaj Party." He also apologized for a recent post on X that allegedly led to his expulsion from the BSP.

He said, "I seek forgiveness for a tweet I posted a few days ago, which led to my removal from the party by Behan ji. I assure that I will not take any political decision based on advice from relatives or external advisors", and asked for forgiveness.

Akash, who was once seen as Mayawati's possible political successor and made the BSP's national coordinator, was removed from all his party roles and expelled from the BSP for "anti-party activities." This happened after several BSP leaders attended the wedding of Ashok Siddharth’s son, ignoring Mayawati's clear instructions not to.

"The party is supreme and relations can come later," Mayawati, who had sacked Akash last year only to later reinstate him and appoint him her political successor, said.

On March 3, Mayawati expelled Akash from the party.

She criticized his reaction to the expulsion, calling it "selfish and arrogant." In response, Akash had said, "Some people from the rival party are thinking that my political career is over… They should understand that the Bahujan movement is not a career, but a fight for self-respect and self-esteem of crores of Dalits, exploited, deprived and poor people."

Mayawati’s decision to remove Akash, particularly when he was starting to gain support among Dalit youth, has faced backlash from political analysts and opposition parties. The Samajwadi Party (SP) was quick to take a jab at the decision, questioning why she was not allowing the next generation to take charge.