Mayawati's Fresh Attack On Akash Anand Signals Deeper BSP Succession Crisis Ahead Of 2027 UP Assembly Elections

Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati's clarification on her health on Sunday was accompanied by a fresh attack on her estranged nephew Akash Anand, underlining the continuing uncertainty over the party's leadership and succession strategy ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Mayawati said she was completely healthy and dismissed reports of her being unwell as baseless. But much of her statement was devoted to explaining a phone call allegedly made by Akash Anand to a party functionary and questioning whether he was acting on his own or on the advice of his father-in-law, former Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddharth.

According to Mayawati, Akash called party in-charge Alok Kumar on Saturday and asked whether she was unwell. Kumar told him that Mayawati was completely fit and busy with her work. Akash then allegedly asked Kumar not to tell Mayawati about the call.

Mayawati said the intention behind the call could have been either good or bad, but she decided to speak publicly to ensure that party workers had the correct information about her health.

The episode comes at a crucial time for the BSP, which is preparing for the 2027 Assembly elections while dealing with a major leadership change.

Mayawati has removed Akash Anand as the party's national coordinator and expelled him from the BSP. His father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, who was considered influential in Akash's political affairs, subsequently announced his retirement from politics.

Mayawati on Saturday indicated a new direction for the party's succession plan, saying her niece Deepika Anand would carry forward the BSP's mission in place of Akash. She added that if Deepika was not ready to take up the responsibility, a worker from the Dalit community would be given the opportunity.

The shift is significant because Akash had been projected as the younger face of the BSP and was expected to play a larger role in the party's electoral politics. His removal has now left Mayawati firmly in control of the organisation, while the party has yet to establish a clear second-rung leadership structure.

On Sunday, Mayawati also defended the decisions taken by her in recent months, saying they had benefited the BSP and its movement. Her message to party workers was to remain focused on the coming elections.

The developments point to a BSP that is entering the 2027 contest with its traditional leadership structure under strain and its succession question unresolved. Mayawati, however, appears determined to retain direct control of the party and decide who will carry forward its political legacy.

She also welcomed the declaration issued at the BRICS summit being held in Delhi.