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Gear up to fight for social justice, Akash exhorts BSP workers
Bhim Army chief takes pot shots at Maya’s decision to name nephew as political heir, reminds BSP chief of her earlier statement of keeping relatives, brothers and sisters away from politics
LUCKNOW Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national coordinator Akash Anand on Tuesday called upon party workers and supporters to gear up to fight for social justice. Party chief Mayawati had named him her political successor at a national level meeting held at the state unit office on Sunday.
“Party chief Mayawati has entrusted upon me the responsibility of carrying forward the ideology of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, for the development of Dalits - the exploited and deprived society in the country…I will undertake the responsibility with full devotion and honesty,” he stated in a post on social media platform X.
“The Bahujan Samaj Party is a mission, and we have to take it to every corner of the country. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all workers and supporters. The support of all young friends is very important in this journey. I want to join you, want to walk with you, because this fight for social justice is very long,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad, who is considered a potential contender to don the mantle of a Dalit leader, took pot shots at Mayawati’s decision to name Akash Anand as her political heir.
Reminding the BSP chief of her earlier statement of keeping relatives, brothers and sisters away from politics, Azad, in a series of posts on X, stated: “Bhim Rao Ambedkar had said, “Earlier, the king was born from the queen’s womb, but now I have made arrangements that the king will no longer be born from the queen’s womb, but from the ballot box.”
Posting an earlier statement of BSP chief on X, Chandra Shekhar stated: “Speaking in a public meeting, Mayawati had said that when Kashiram laid the foundation of this party on April 14 1984, he had decided to keep family and relatives away from politics to do something in politics selflessly. I will also keep my family away from politics.”
BSP leader Neeraj Pal said: “Party coordinator Akash Anand will not only face challenge from Dalit outfits working to gain political ground by making inroads into the BSP’s support base, but he will also have to prove his merit by regaining the ground that the party lost after losing power in the 2012 assembly election in UP.”
He said the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be a test for Akash who has been made in-charge of states where the party organization is weak.
“He campaigned with BSP chief in 2019 Lok Sabha and 2022 assembly elections in UP but the party failed to make a comeback. The BSP has been marginalised in politics. Akash will have to win the support of the non- Jatav Dalit voters, OBCs and Muslims who were the support base of the party,” said Pal.
Akash was in-charge of the BSP in the recently concluded assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telengana and Rajasthan.
The BSP failed to open its account in Chhattisgarh, MP and Telengana while it bagged two seats in Rajasthan. The party polled 2.09% votes in Chhattisgarh, 1.82% in Rajasthan, 3.32% in MP and 1.38% in Telengana.
Former head of political science department, Lucknow University, SK Dwivedi said: “Along with Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad who has launched Azad Samaj Party to mobilise the Dalit community, checking the shift of the Dalit community to the BJP will a major challenge for Akash.”
A former office-bearer of the All-India Backward and Minorities Communities Employees’ Federation (Bamcef) CB Rahul said: “BSP chief Mayawati has failed to check the decline of BSP in national and state politics. It will be a challenging task for Akash to establish the supremacy of the party along with winning the support of communities that formed the core support base of the party.”
“The way BSP chief declared Akash as her successor has sent a wrong signal to party supporters. The selection for the top posts should be according to the Constitution of the party, and in a democratic manner,” he added.
