Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has opened the possibility of taking her nephew Akash Anand back into the party fold, but with a condition involving his father-in-law and former Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth. Mayawati has made it clear that Siddharth must completely renounce politics before Akash Anand can resume working freely in the party and potentially regain the responsibilities previously held by him.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Mayawati maintained that Siddharth still has an opportunity to step away from his political ambitions and rise above personal and family interests. She indicated that only after he takes complete political “sanyas” would Akash Anand be allowed to function freely within the BSP. The party could then sympathetically consider restoring his organisational responsibilities and giving him an active role again.

Akash Anand, the son of Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar, was once projected as her political successor and had held a key organisational position in the BSP. However, his political standing within the party has changed several times since 2024. Mayawati recently removed him from leadership responsibilities, maintaining that he needed greater maturity, and subsequently indicated that he could continue only as an ordinary party worker.

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Mayawati has repeatedly linked Akash Anand’s political difficulties to the influence and conduct of Siddharth. She has accused her former party colleague of placing personal and familial ambitions above the interests of the BSP and its broader movement. According to Mayawati, Akash Anand also had to face consequences because of this association, despite having been given important responsibilities in the party in the past.

Siddharth, who served as a BSP Rajya Sabha MP, has himself faced repeated changes in his position within the party. Mayawati has maintained that he was given several opportunities to change his approach and work in the interests of the organisation. In her latest message, she urged him to demonstrate greater sacrifice and selflessness by completely withdrawing from active politics, presenting it as a possible way to help Akash Anand return to a more prominent role.

Mayawati also linked the issue to the BSP’s political challenges ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. She described the upcoming contests as particularly important for the party and the Dalit-Bahujan movement associated with Kanshi Ram. She also referred to challenges surrounding reservations and urged members of the community to avoid personal or family interests that could create obstacles for the wider movement, warning that history could judge such actions harshly.

Also Read: Mayawati Keeps Akash Anand Away From Major BSP Role, Citing Political Maturity