In a big political move, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has removed her nephew, Akash Anand, from all posts of the party besides withdrawn his name as her political heir.
“Till I am alive, there will be no political heir,” Mayawat declared while addressing senior party functionaries here on Sunday. However, the BSP chief made her brother and father of Akash, Anand Kumar, and Ramji Gautam as the party’s new national coordinators.
This is her second major decision after the expulsion of Akash’s father-in-law Ashok Siddharth after the results of the Delhi assembly elections that served as a warning to Akash. “Now, there will be no successor till I am alive. Relationships are of no importance in the interest of the party and the movement,” she contended.
The BSP supremo further said, “The party and the movement would remain the first priority to me. Brothers, sisters, their children, and other relationships, are all secondary.”
She said Anand Kumar, in the changed scenario, has decided to marry his children with apolitical families in the interest of the party and the movement so that Ashok Siddharth could not interfere in the political matters of the party. In this context, she assured the supporters of the party she would continue to do every effort to strengthen the party with honesty and loyalty till the last breath of her life.
Justifying her decision not to contest the Milkipur assembly by-election, the BSP chief asked who the SP would blame now for its defeat as it had campaigned against the BSP holding the party responsible for its defeat in the bypolls in 9 assembly seats. “In reality, the SP and the BJP are two sides of the same coin and the BJP and other “casteist parties” can only defeat the BSP with Ambedkarite policies and principles,” she said.
Defending her decision to expel Ashok Siddharth, she said he tried to weaken the BSP by dividing it in two groups across the country, including Uttar Pradesh. “In a situation like this, in the interest of party and movement, his son-in-law Akash Anand has been removed from all the responsibilities of the party for which his father-in-law is responsible. He damaged the party and spoiled the political career of Akash Anand.