Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati has now handed another major role in the party to her younger nephew Ishan Anand, national coordinator. The move comes weeks after he was appointed as the chief sector in charge.
The role was previously held by her elder nephew Akash Anand. Akash Anand was recently stripped of his responsibility and expelled from the party
Ishan’s presence in the party has been growing. The 27-year-old law graduate had also been briefly expelled from the party but was reinstated.
Ishan and Akash are sons of Anand Kumar, Mayawati’s younger brother and a BSP national vice-president, while their sister is Deepika Anand.
The decision was announced at an All-India Review Meeting of the BSP's national executive held at the party headquarters in Lucknow and chaired by Mayawati. Akash, who was relieved of his responsibilities, was not seen at the meeting.
“She has entrusted me with the big responsibility of national coordinator in the Bahujan Samaj Party, which I will try my best to discharge with full honesty and dedication," Ishan said,
The party is also preparing to contest the upcoming Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh independently.
The party has appointed the nephew amid allegations of nepotism. Mayawati stated that the BSP has always stood apart from it.
Mayawati said relatives could work in the organisation without any greed or personal ambition, but responsibilities in the party should not be assigned on the basis of family interests.
At the meeting, Mayawati also attacked Akash Anand, saying he worked under the influence of his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, a former BSP Rajya Sabha MP who was expelled by Mayawati for alleged anti-party activities, NDTV reported.
