Mayawati Reinstates Akash Anand as BSP National Coordinator Following Apology
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati reinstated her nephew Akash Anand as the party's national coordinator on Monday in Lucknow, three days after he tendered an apology and pledged allegiance to her leadership. The decision marks Anand's third political comeback following an expulsion from the party.
The latest disciplinary dispute began in September 2026, when Anand failed to repost Mayawati’s September 9 appeal urging his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, to retire from politics. Mayawati viewed Anand’s silence as an indication that he remained more tied to family relations than to the BSP and its movement, questioning whether he could work effectively while caught between the two. Siddharth subsequently retired from politics on September 10, but Mayawati removed Anand as national coordinator and relieved him entirely from the party on the same day.
Anand sought to repair ties in a Friday message where he addressed Mayawati as his political guru, inspiration, and paternal aunt. In the statement, Anand declared that he would never join another political party, endorsed her decision regarding Siddharth, and acknowledged that his initial silence had been misunderstood. Anand stated, "If this has hurt you, then I seek forgiveness from you," while requesting another opportunity to serve under her leadership.
Mayawati accepted the apology after what she described as "much deliberation," stating that the party decided to grant Anand another opportunity in the interest of the organisation and its movement. However, she accompanied the decision with a warning, stressing that party discipline remained paramount and noting that even members of her own family had not been spared strict organisational measures.
The reinstatement continues a pattern of exits and returns for Anand within the BSP. He was initially expelled in May 2024 before being brought back within a month and assigned major responsibilities. In March 2025, he was expelled again and reinstated within a month, preceding his removal in September 2026 and his return in October 2026.
The move comes as the BSP prepares its organisational machinery ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for early 2027, with the leadership moving to resolve internal uncertainty and stabilise the party structure.
