With months remaining until the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) is amid turmoil after party chief Mayawati expelled her nephew, Akash Anand. This came after Akash Anand’s father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, announced his retirement from politics, following Mayawati’s ultimatum.
Announcing her decision, Mayawati hit out at her nephew, stating he would have no further association with the party. She attributed the expulsion to Akash Anand's "double-minded" mindset and his tendency to prioritise personal relationships over the party's interests.
While the internal strife peaks in the party, new details emerge regarding what happened. Local media reports hint that Mayawati put forth a condition before Akash Anand: If he wanted to advance in the BSP, his father-in-law, Ashok Siddhartha, would have to completely retire from politics.
Ashok Siddharth didn't delay. He announced his retirement from politics and social life. Mayawati also commented on Ashok Siddharth's decision to retire from politics, calling it “the right step though very late”. “People say that if he had taken this decision much earlier, the BSP, Bahujan Samaj and Bahujan Movement, as well as his son-in-law Akash Anand, would not have had to face continuous adverse circumstances, nor would I have had to take many tough decisions regarding these issues in the larger interest of the party and the movement,” she added.
However, despite Ashok Siddarth’s decision, Mayawati had to expel Akash Anand. She did so because Akash Anand refused to repost her X posts, making his stance clear.
Mayawati too made her displeasure evident. “Akash Anand also has such strong attachment to his father-in-law Shri Ashok Siddharth—more than to his own career—that he did not even deem it appropriate to repost the related post on the BSP chief's social media account 'X,' even though that post was for his own positive benefit and well-being,” she posted on X.
Interestingly, Akash Anand’s brother Ishan Anand, who is now being elevated to a big role in the BSP, has reacted. He reposted Mayawati’s message bashing his brother, adding that: “The Bahujan movement progresses not through any individual or family, but through sacrifice, struggle, and ideology. Rising above personal and family interests and putting the interests of the organisation and mission supreme is the way to realise the dreams of Baba Saheb and Ma. Kanshi Ram ji. A majority government in 2027 is the ultimate goal."
