LUCKNOW: Akash Anand, BSP supremo Mayawati‘s nephew who was named her successor Sunday, holds an MBA from London and is the son of her brother Anand Kumarwho has been working closely with her as the party’s vice president.
While Mayawati will continue as the party chief for the time being, this marks the first time she has officially named a successor.She emphasised at the meeting that Akash would work as any other party worker, contributing to the mission and movement of BSP.
“Behenji (Mayawati) said at the meeting that ‘like Kanshi Ram-ji made me his successor and I brought the party to where it is today, I am declaring Akash Anand as my successor, and he will take the party forward’,” said BSP’s lone MLA in UP, Uma Shankar Singh, quoting the party chief.
The move is seen as an attempt to inject youthful energy into the party, particularly in response to the growing influence of Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad among the Dalit electorate – the core constituency of BSP. Political analysts believe that this decision aims to counter the perception of an aging party leadership, appealing to the community’s youth.
The long-term impact of this decision on BSP’s political fortune is yet to be seen, but it marks a significant development in the party’s leadership dynamics. Mayawati made it clear that no other family member of Akash would hold a position in the party organisation, underlining her commitment to organisational integrity. However, the potential impact on the organisational responsibilities of Akash’s father Anand Kumar and his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, the former party MP, remains uncertain.
Mayawati’s announcement comes after Akash played a prominent role in overseeing recent assembly elections in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
While Mayawati will continue as the party chief for the time being, this marks the first time she has officially named a successor.She emphasised at the meeting that Akash would work as any other party worker, contributing to the mission and movement of BSP.
“Behenji (Mayawati) said at the meeting that ‘like Kanshi Ram-ji made me his successor and I brought the party to where it is today, I am declaring Akash Anand as my successor, and he will take the party forward’,” said BSP’s lone MLA in UP, Uma Shankar Singh, quoting the party chief.
The move is seen as an attempt to inject youthful energy into the party, particularly in response to the growing influence of Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad among the Dalit electorate – the core constituency of BSP. Political analysts believe that this decision aims to counter the perception of an aging party leadership, appealing to the community’s youth.
The long-term impact of this decision on BSP’s political fortune is yet to be seen, but it marks a significant development in the party’s leadership dynamics. Mayawati made it clear that no other family member of Akash would hold a position in the party organisation, underlining her commitment to organisational integrity. However, the potential impact on the organisational responsibilities of Akash’s father Anand Kumar and his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, the former party MP, remains uncertain.
Mayawati’s announcement comes after Akash played a prominent role in overseeing recent assembly elections in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.