Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati has expelled her nephew and supposed political heir, Akash Anand, due to his “selfish and arrogant” response to a showcause notice. She accused him of being influenced by his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, who was expelled for allegedly splintering the party. Mayawati stated that Anand’s lengthy reply lacked remorse and indicated immaturity. She emphasized that his expulsion aligns with the party’s principles and discipline, referencing the teachings of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshiram. This follows a pattern of removing Anand from significant roles in the past year, despite briefly reinstating him as National Coordinator.
New Delhi:
Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati has dismissed her nephew and political successor Akash Anand from the party, attributing the decision to his reaction to the party’s showcause notice, which she labeled as “selfish and arrogant”.
His response indicated that he was swayed by his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, who has already been removed from the party.
“He (Akash Anand) should have expressed remorse and demonstrated maturity. Instead, the lengthy reply provided by Shri Akash reveals not his regret or political maturity but rather a stance that is predominantly selfish, arrogant, and influenced by his father-in-law,” Mayawati articulated in a series of three posts on X.
“Consequently, in alignment with the self-respect and self-esteem movement championed by the esteemed Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and adhering to the disciplinary tradition of the venerable Shri Kanshiram ji, Shri Akash Anand is expelled from the party, similar to his father-in-law, in the interests of the party and the movement,” her final post on the issue roughly translated reads.
Over the weekend, Mayawati had also expelled Ashok Siddharth, accusing him of dividing the party.
In her statement, she stated that he has “committed the grievous act of undermining the party by splitting it into two factions across the country, including Uttar Pradesh, which is absolutely intolerable.”
Akash Anand, once regarded as Mayawati’s political heir, was relieved of all party positions yesterday.
In May of the previous year, she had stripped Akash Anand of all significant party roles, deeming him “immature”. However, a month later, she appointed him as the party’s National Coordinator, suggesting he would still be seen as her political successor.