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Mayawati expels nephew Akash Anand for 2nd time; his father-in-law quits politics
The father-in-law announced his retirement from politics after Mayawati indicated Anand could regain a role if the former did so
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Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Thursday expelled her nephew Akash Anand, 31, from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the second time, a week after removing him as its chief national coordinator for the third time since 2024, following his reinstatement in March.
The expulsion came despite Anand’s father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, announcing his retirement from active politics after Mayawati indicated on Wednesday that her nephew could regain an organisational role if Siddharth did so. In a post on X, Mayawati on Thursday said Anand is now completely free from the party. She added that he has been fully relieved.
Siddharth said that instead of harming the party’s mission, he was renouncing political and social life. He blamed opponents in the BSP for engaging in anti-party activities and conspiring against him. Siddharth clarified that he was not misleading Anand or trying to take over the BSP.
Two hours after Siddharth’s post on X announcing his retirement, Mayawati said if he had even a little concern for Anand’s future, BSP’s interests, and its Ambedkarite Movement, he would have announced his retirement on Wednesday. “This would have ensured Akash Anand’s active involvement in the party and the movement. But the fact that this did not happen proves that the flaw and ambition in Ashok Siddharth’s intentions have not diminished and remain fully intact.”
Mayawati said Anand is attached to Siddharth more than to his own career. She added he did not even deem it appropriate to repost her post on X even though it was for his own benefit and well-being. Mayawati said he used to try to prove his loyalty by reposting her posts. “This too suggests that Ashok Siddharth and Akash Anand have less attachment to the success of the party and the movement and more to their personal and familial interests.”
Mayawati said the BSP elevated both of them to heights. “For this, no matter how much gratitude and indebtedness all these people feel toward the BSP and its leadership, it would still be too little...”
Mayawati said if Anand cares less about the party, the movement, his own career, and more about attachment to relationships and kin, then how can he possibly do good?
In March 2025, Mayawati expelled Anand after removing him from the national coordinator post.
Last week, Mayawati said Anand requires more maturity and entrusting him with major party responsibilities at this stage would be inappropriate. She had also introduced her younger nephew, Ishan Anand, to the party leaders.
In May 2024, Mayawati removed Akash Anand from the national coordinator post during the Lok Sabha election campaign and said he is no longer her successor. The move came after a hate speech case was lodged against him for the alleged “use of unparliamentary language” in criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party government.
Mayawati reinstated Akash Anand after eight months in August 2024 and entrusted him with leading the campaign in the assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi.
Mayawati named Ramji Gautam, Randhir Singh Beniwal and Raja Ram as national coordinators after sacking Akash Anand in March and expelling him from the party.
She reinstated Akash Anand and reappointed him chief national coordinator in May 2025. The BSP planned to woo the younger Gen Z voters by promoting him to the top organisational post. Akash Anand was asked to counter the increasing influence of the Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekar Azad over the Dalit community.
Akash Anand’s fresh expulsion came days after the BSP launched the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly election campaign with his two rallies in Hathras and Gautam Buddha Nagar on August 10 and 25. Mayawati had groomed him as her political successor since 2017. She first appointed him as the national coordinator in June 2019. In December 2023, she named Akash Anand as her political heir.
On August 2, Mayawati expelled Siddharth, a former lawmaker, from the party for anti-party activities. Mayawati, who won a clear five-year mandate to rule Uttar Pradesh in 2007, has maintained an iron grip over the party despite growing erosion in the BSP’s support base. BSP’s lone lawmaker in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh died in August. The party has no seats in Parliament.
Mayawati, 70, has made it clear that she will continue to lead the party despite demands from the party cadre to promote younger leadership. She told party leaders that she will finalise the candidates for the 2027 assembly election, devise the election campaign, and monitor the fundraising.
