Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday made it clear that her younger brother Anand Kumar’s sons will not be given any political responsibility in the party, saying his daughter Deepika Anand could carry forward his work if required.
No Political Role For Anand Kumar’s Sons
In a statement, Mayawati said Anand Kumar would not hand over his responsibilities to either of his sons or, in future, to their children. His daughter Deepika, who is studying law, could take up the responsibility if she was willing and prepared, she said.
“If the daughter is not ready, the responsibility can be given, with consensus, to another committed worker from the Dalit community,” Mayawati said.
She described the decision as final and said none of Anand Kumar’s sons would be given a political post in the BSP. Mayawati said the party’s mission could not be compromised for family considerations.
The statement assumes significance as Mayawati seeks to strengthen the BSP’s organisation ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections while maintaining her long-standing position against dynastic politics.
Mayawati said she had kept her own relatives away from political positions and followed the path shown by BSP founder Kanshi Ram, who opposed family-based politics. She said relatives of party leaders should not use their association with the organisation to seek political or other benefits.
Explaining Anand Kumar’s continued presence around her, Mayawati said she had needed her younger brother’s support because she was unmarried and required someone to look after her and assist her. Anand, she said, had been handling important party responsibilities under her supervision for a long time.
But she made it clear that this arrangement should not benefit other members of his family.
Mayawati said she would not allow personal attachment to cause any damage to the BSP or its movement. Even if the party forms the government in future, she said, only the person entrusted with a responsibility would be given an opportunity and other members of that person’s family would not receive political benefits.
The BSP chief also stressed the need to bring more young people into the party. She said the organisation was working to ensure nearly 50 per cent participation of Gen-Z in its organisational structure, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.
She said young and capable candidates from different sections of society would be given preference in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. Women and men from the younger generation should both be considered, she said.
Mayawati also warned party workers against what she called fake news, conspiracies and paid propaganda aimed at weakening the BSP.
She specifically rejected reports that leaders and workers expelled from the party for indiscipline or anti-party activities would be brought back. Such reports were false, she said, adding that those expelled for such reasons would not be taken back into the BSP.
