Akash Anand Apologises To Mayawati, Appeals For A Second Chance

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Akash Anand has sought another opportunity to work with the party under the leadership of his aunt and BSP chief Mayawati, days after being expelled from the organisation. In a post on X on October 2, Anand described Mayawati as his political mentor, inspiration and aunt, and apologised for what he said was a misunderstanding caused by his silence on social media.

Anand said he wanted to serve the BSP and its mission again and pledged to rebuild Mayawati's trust through his conduct and hard work. He also rejected speculation that he was considering joining another political party, saying that the BSP was not merely a political organisation for him but also his family. His statement came after a period of uncertainty over his political future following his removal from the party.

The BSP chief had removed Anand from the post of chief national coordinator and expelled him from the party last month. Mayawati had attributed the action to concerns that Anand was acting under the influence of his father-in-law, former Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddharth, and had questioned his political maturity. The dispute had also brought attention to the relationship between Anand's political role and his family connections.

Also Read: CM Shivakumar Appeals To People For Peace, Harmony On Ganesh Chaturthi

In his latest statement, Anand also backed Mayawati's decision to expel Siddharth from the BSP and supported his decision to step away from active politics. Anand said personal and family relationships should not take precedence over the interests of the party and its movement. Siddharth had earlier announced his retirement from politics after Mayawati called for him to withdraw from political activity.

Anand further explained that he had distanced himself from social media and therefore did not repost one of Mayawati's earlier statements. He said his silence had been misunderstood and had contributed to rumours about his position. He apologised if his actions had caused hurt and reiterated that he wanted to work under Mayawati's leadership if given another opportunity.

The latest development leaves the question of Anand's possible return to the BSP open. Mayawati had previously indicated that Anand could potentially return if Siddharth stepped away from politics, but Anand was subsequently expelled despite Siddharth's withdrawal. Mayawati has also indicated that Anand's brother, Ishan Anand, could be given a role in the party, adding another dimension to the ongoing discussion about the family's political future within the BSP.

Also Read: Mayawati Denies BSP Role To Nephew Akash Anand Over Failure To Repost Party Message