Mayawati gives ‘one more chance’ to nephew Akash Anand after public apology

BSP supremo Mayawati offered “one more chance” to nephew Akash Anand to work for the party hours after the expelled leader offered an apology on social media. 

Mayawati, however, asserted that till she was healthy, she would not announce any successor. 

Akash, who had been seen as the political heir of Mayawati, was expelled from the party on March 3, a day after he was removed from all party posts over a controversial social media post.

The party chief had alleged that Akash was influenced by his father-in-law who she had earlier expelled from the BSP for allegedly trying to split the party.

On Sunday, Akash took to X and said he would not let his personal relationships, especially in-laws, interfere with his commitment to the party.

"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 you that I will not take any political decision based on advice from relatives or external advisors," he said.

Later in the day, Mayawati announced that she had chosen to give her nephew another chance in the party.

"In view of Akash Anand's four posts on X today, publicly admitting his mistakes and giving full respect to the seniors, and not giving in to his father-in-law's words and devoting his life to the BSP, it has been decided to give him one more chance,” she said.

"By the way, I am healthy now and as long as I am healthy, like the Shri Kanshiram ji, I will continue to work for the party and the movement with full dedication and devotion. In such a situation, there is no question of announcing a successor. I am firm on my decision and will remain so," she further said. 

The BSP supremo, however, ruled out the possibility of taking back Akash’s father-in-law Ashok Siddarth into the party, saying his acts were “unforgivable”.

"... Along with extreme anti-party activities like factionalism etc, he has left no stone unturned in ruining Akash's career. Therefore, the question of forgiving him and taking him back into the party does not arise," she said.