Mayawati expels nephew Akash Anand from BSP
What's the story
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has expelled her nephew Akash Anand from the party, a day after sacking him from all party posts.
In a series of posts on X, Mayawati called Akash's reply to a show-cause notice "selfish and arrogant."
She blamed his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, for this behavior.
Siddharth was also recently expelled from the BSP for creating divisions within the party and weakening its organizational strength.
Family influence
Siddharth's influence on Akash's political approach: Mayawati
"In the All-India meeting of BSP yesterday (Sunday), Shri Akash Anand was relieved from all responsibilities including the post of National Coordinator, due to the continued influence of his father-in-law, Shri Ashok Siddharth," she wrote.
She added that instead of showing remorse and maturity after his removal from party posts, Akash gave a "mostly selfish, arrogant and non-missionary response under the influence of his father-in-law."
Leadership changes
BSP appoints new national coordinators
After Akash's expulsion, the BSP has named Anand Kumar and Ramji Gautam as new national coordinators.
Notably, Mayawati had removed Akash from important positions in May 2024 for his immaturity but reinstated him as National Coordinator and her political heir later.
However, she now stresses that she won't announce a successor while she is alive, putting the party's interests above personal relations.
Party focus
Mayawati reaffirms commitment to Bahujan community
Mayawati also emphasized on the need to develop Uttar Pradesh's Bahujan community for the development of the state and the country.
She detailed plans for upcoming celebrations of BSP founder Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary, reiterating the party's commitment to his ideology.
After he was removed from all posts on Sunday, Akash posted that the "Bahujan Movement is not a career, but a fight for self-respect and self-esteem of crores of Dalits."