BSP chief Mayawati says Akash Anand needs political maturity, no key roles
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said on Thursday that her nephew and the party's national coordinator, Akash Anand, must show greater political maturity before he is considered for major party responsibilities. She was speaking at a national-level meeting of party office-bearers held in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.
"I have allowed Akash Anand to work in the party, which is before all of you, but he still needs to become more mature. Till then, it would not be appropriate to give him a major responsibility in the party," Mayawati said. She did not specify what kind of maturity she expects from him or when she might reassess his readiness.
The BSP is one of the principal political parties in Uttar Pradesh and has a substantial support base among Dalit voters in several northern Indian states. Mayawati, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has been the party's dominant leader for a long period. Akash Anand, who is her nephew, currently holds the position of national coordinator in the party, making him one of its visible office-bearers.
In her address, Mayawati announced that the BSP will contest all elections across the country on its own, irrespective of the scale of the poll. She said the party would not depend on any alliance or coalition. This implies that the BSP is not looking at electoral tie-ups with other parties in the foreseeable future. Mayawati, however, did not explain how the party would manage in states where its presence is limited.
Mayawati also attacked the Congress party, calling it "strongly anti-Dalit and anti-Ambedkar." She alleged that the Congress and several other opposition parties have been misleading Dalits and Bahujan communities. According to her, these parties are favouring particular Dalit groups while spreading baseless claims and false propaganda. She urged Dalit and Bahujan voters not to fall for such tactics.
The BSP chief also labelled demonstrations and road blockades as political and electoral gimmicks. She maintained that such actions do not translate into real progress for the disadvantaged. The BSP, she said, is the only Ambedkarite party that remains free of such gimmicks. She asserted that her party is committed to the welfare of the entire society, especially the poor, labourers, exploited, oppressed, and neglected. She cited the development work carried out by BSP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh for four terms as proof of this commitment.
On Akash Anand, Mayawati made it clear that he has been allowed to work in the party, but he must earn a larger role through greater political maturity. She refrained from offering examples of his lapses or explaining the standards she expects him to meet. She also did not commit to a timeline for reviewing her decision. Anand will therefore continue in his current role as national coordinator without being entrusted with additional responsibilities for now.
The meeting in Lucknow was attended by senior party functionaries. No other details of the meeting were shared with the media.
