‘Mayawati herself wants BSP to be destroyed’: Udit Raj on succession row

A political controversy has erupted over BSP chief Mayawati’s latest decision on the future political roles of members of her family, with Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders reacting sharply to her announcement.

The dispute follows Mayawati’s decision to rule out political positions for her two nephews, Akash Anand and Ishan Anand, while leaving open the possibility of responsibilities for her niece, Deepika Anand, who is currently studying law.

In a post on X on Saturday, Mayawati described the decision as her “final decision and pledge”, saying that the sons of her younger brother and BSP vice-chief Anand Kumar would not be given positions, whether senior or junior, within the Bahujan Samaj Party.

She also indicated that the children of her nephews would similarly be kept away from organisational positions, while suggesting that Deepika Anand could potentially be entrusted with responsibilities in the future.

Congress leader Udit Raj criticised the move, alleging that Mayawati's decisions reflected insecurity within the BSP.

“I think Mayawati ji herself wants the BSP to be destroyed,” Raj said, while claiming that senior leaders associated with BSP founder Kanshi Ram had been removed from the party over time.

He alleged that Mayawati had “expelled all of Kanshi Ram ji’s missionary associates one by one”, and questioned the reasons behind what he described as her insecurity.

Raj also raised the possibility that Mayawati could be acting under political pressure, alleging that the decision might have been influenced by the Bharatiya Janata Party. He did not provide evidence for the claim.

The Samajwadi Party also weighed in on the developments, particularly the political future of Akash Anand.

SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said the party would welcome anyone who supports SP president Akhilesh Yadav's leadership and believes in the party's ideology.

Referring to an earlier response from Akhilesh Yadav on the possibility of Akash Anand joining the SP, Chand said the party's doors remain open to those who have faith in its leadership and ideology.

However, he declined to comment on the possibility of anyone joining or leaving Chandrashekhar Azad's party, saying the SP had no position on what the two sides might discuss.

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput adopted a more cautious position, saying the matter concerning Akash Anand and Chandrashekhar Azad was between the individuals involved.

He said it would not be appropriate for the Congress to comment on their discussions or decisions.

Mayawati's latest announcement comes amid continued attention on the BSP's leadership and succession plans.

The BSP chief has previously taken steps to position members of her family within the party's organisational structure, but her latest statement marks a significant shift in that approach.

By ruling out political roles for Akash and Ishan Anand and their future children, while keeping open a possible role for Deepika Anand, Mayawati has drawn a clear distinction between different branches of her family.

Her declaration that the decision is final adds further significance to the announcement and could shape discussions about the BSP's leadership structure in the years ahead.

The development has also prompted rival political parties to speculate about Akash Anand's future, with the SP signalling that it would be open to his entry while the Congress has largely refrained from taking a position.

For now, however, Mayawati's announcement leaves the BSP's future succession strategy firmly in her hands, while rival parties closely watch the political direction of one of Uttar Pradesh's most prominent Dalit-based parties.

With IANS inputs