BSP supremo Mayawati shocked her cadre on Sunday after she removed Akash Anand from the key post of National Coordinator of the party, stating Akash’s father-in-law Ashok Sidharth was responsible for Akash's removal and spoiling his political career.
"Siddharth’s daughter would be influenced by his removal and she would also influence Akash – a matter that had to be taken with utmost seriousness, for it would not have positive outcomes," Mayawati said.
The BSP chief's statement has brought the spotlight on Akash's wife Pragya Sidharth, who he married in March 2023. Akash, son of Mayawati's youngest brother Anand Kumar, met Pragya in London while doing his MBA. She was doing her graduation in medicine when the duo decided to get hitched. Akash's father Anand had then told the media that both families were closer and that was the reason they decided to bless the union.
Akash was made Mayawati's heir apparent shortly before his marriage to Pragya. However, cracks began to show soon, after which he was removed from the post, especially after a controversy arose over a statement made by Akash during the Lok Sabha campaign. However, after some time, Mayawati once again made him her successor.
But, it is Pragya's father Ashok who has drawn Mayawati's ire. She alleges Ashok tried to divide the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) into two groups and tried to weaken it.
Ashok too was a doctor before he joined the BSP in 2008. He left his job to join the party in 2008. A year later, Mayawati made him a MLC. Ashok was also the Rajya Sabha member of the party from 2016 to 2022. Once close to the BSP supremo, he fell out of favour with Mayawati recently after which he was removed from all key posts.
