Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has taken back her nephew Akash Anand into the party fold following his public apology, offering him "one more chance" but insisting that she would remain in charge of the outfit.
Anand was initially stripped off all the significant posts in the party and afterwards expelled by the BSP supremo in March. Mayawati had then alleged that her nephew had been misled by his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth.
The latest decision came after a series of public posts Sunday made by Akash on ‘X’, in which he sought forgiveness, acknowledged his mistakes, and pledged to align himself fully with Mayawati’s leadership.
Indeed, Akash went public to apologise for being intoxicated by his father-in-law and ex-BSP leader Ashok Siddharth. He made a promise never to seek political advice from any relative or consultant, saying he had Mayawati as his "sole political guru and role model."
Despite remaining in good health and refusing to name a successor, Mayawati offered her nephew another chance. She tweeted on 'X' that Akash Anand was given "one more opportunity" due to his public apologies and commitment to the BSP, as demonstrated in his four 'X' posts expressing respect for senior leaders and vowing allegiance to the party.
I am in good health, and as long as I am completely healthy, I will keep working with full dedication and sincerity for the party and the movement, as did the revered Kanshi Ram ji. Thus, the issue of appointing a successor does not arise whatsoever. I stand on this decision and will keep doing so.
The ex-Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed she was not going to forgive Siddharth. "Nevertheless, the wrongdoings of Akash's father-in-law, Shri Ashok Siddharth, are unforgivable. His support for factionalism and other highly anti-party activities, and his causing derailment of Akash's political career, do not tolerate any forgiveness or scope of being readmitted to the party," she stated.
In February, the BSP leadership had suspended Siddharth on charges of promoting groupism and indulging in anti-party activities. Once a Rajya Sabha MP, Siddharth had been tasked with running the party in some of the southern states.
A BSP worker described Mayawat's recent action as "strategic" because it came on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanti (14 April) to convey a message to the party cadre.
"Behan ji had a problem with Ashok Siddharth, who began to think of himself as a power centre after her daughter's marriage with Akash. That is why Mayawati initially removed Siddharth, whom she accused of encouraging factionalism and weakening party discipline, and subsequently removed Akash, citing Siddharth's undue influence over him through his daughter. 'For this, not the party, but his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth is entirely responsible, she had said," the functionary remembered.
Some other functionaries said that Mayawati’s decision to reinstate her nephew signals a strategic move to stabilise and potentially rejuvenate the party, which has faced significant electoral setbacks in recent years.
On the other hand, Akash, 31, represents a younger face for the BSP, which could help attract Dalit youths, who have been drifting toward emerging Dalit leaders like Chandrashekhar Azad of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram).
