Now, Mayawati names nephew BSP's chief national coordinator

LUCKNOW: Over a month after being taken back into BSP on April 13, party president Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand was reinstated in the party organisation as the chief national coordinator on Sunday. The decision to elevate Akash in the party hierarchy was announced by Mayawati in an all-India meeting of the party in Delhi.

Expressing gratitude to the party president, Akash promised to work for BSP and the movement with loyalty, and said that “he would not disappoint behenji.”

Currently, BSP has three national coordinators — Ramji Gautam, Randhir Beniwal, and Raja Ram. While the decision hints at a shift towards decentralisation of responsibilities in the party, it also shows that Mayawati is keen to ensure that her family controls BSP.

Akash was removed from the post of BSP national coordinator and as Mayawati’s successor in the party on March 2. A day later, Mayawati had expelled Akash from the party. After this, Mayawati categorically denied having a successor in the party and the movement, till the time she was there.

Akash was BSP’s national coordinator since May 2019, when he shared the post with Ramji Gautam. After the 2022 UP elections, Mayawati made him the sole national coordinator. After the fallout earlier this year, Akash had publicly apologised to Mayawati on April 13. Since Mayawati had appointed three national coordinators in the meantime, Akash was made chief national coordinator.