Mayawati expels nephew Akash Anand from BSP

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday, 3 March, has said that she has expelled her nephew Akash Anand "in the interest" of the party.

The development comes a day after Anand was removed from all party posts in the BSP.

Mayawati said that Akash's response to her action against him on Sunday was "selfish and arrogant".

In a BSP meeting on Sunday, Akash was relieved from all responsibilities as he was under the continuous influence of his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, more than the interest of the party, for which he should "repent and show his maturity", she said.

"But on the contrary, the lengthy response given by Shri Akash is not a sign of his remorse and political maturity, but is mostly selfish, arrogant and non-missionary under the influence of his father-in-law," Mayawati said in a post on X in Hindi.

"Therefore, in the interest of the self-respect and self-esteem of the movement of the most revered Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and following the tradition of discipline of Manaywar Shri Kanshiram ji, Shri Akash Anand, like his father-in-law, is expelled from the party in the interest of the party and the movement," Mayawati said.

Mayawati on Sunday removed Anand from all party posts, appointing his father Anand Kumar and Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Gautam as national coordinators in his place, and said she would not name a successor in her lifetime.

The party is supreme and relations can come later, said the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, who had sacked Akash Anand last year only to later reinstate him and appoint him her political successor.

Removing Akash Anand from all party posts, Mayawati hit out at his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth and said he had divided the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) into two groups and tried to weaken it, according to a party statement.

He also ruined the political career of Akash Anand, she said.

Mayawati last month expelled Siddharth from the BSP on charges of factionalism and anti-party activities.

She said she would not name a successor in her lifetime.

The party and the movement are supreme and relations like brother, sister and their children come later, she added.

Mayawati appointed her brother Anand Kumar and Ramji Gautam as national coordinators to oversee party affairs across India.

Appreciating Anand Kumar, who is also the BSP's national vice-president, she said he always worked with devotion for the party.

"Be it paperwork, income tax, court issues, all are handled by Anand Kumar, who quit his government job. He also looked after (BSP founder) Kanshi Ram when he was ill," she said.

Anand Kumar decided to marry his children into non-political families so that no one tries to damage the party like Siddharth did, she said.

The meeting was held to strengthen the BSP at all levels, expand its base with all sections of society and address organisational shortcomings, the BSP said in a statement.