Decode Politics: Why Mayawati reinstated nephew Akash Anand as her sole heir

Weeks after the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) recorded its worst-ever Lok Sabha performance, party supremo Mayawati on Sunday reinstated her nephew Akash Anand as her sole political heir and the party’s national coordinator while urging leaders to “give him more respect than earlier”.

Mayawati appointed Akash as the party’s national coordinator in 2019 and in December last year named him her political successor only to sack him last month. While BSP leaders said they were sure Anand would be reinstated, they did not expect the decision to come so soon. Some in the party speculated that Mayawati’s quick U-turn was the result of the emergence of Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Aazad as a powerful alternative in the Bahujan movement.

With Akash Anand back, what does it mean for the party, especially with bypolls around the corner and the Assembly elections in the state due in 2027?

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Why was Akash Anand sacked?

On May 7, Mayawati sacked Akash saying her decision would be in force “in the larger interest of the party and the movement … until he attains maturity”. The move came after the police in Sitapur in UP booked Akash for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity after he referred to the BJP government as “aatankwadiyo ki sarkar (a government of terrorists)”.

What prompted the U-turn?

Following his sacking, Akash stopped his campaign mid-way through the Lok Sabha elections leaving Mayawati as the lone face of the party. The party also received feedback from its candidates, all of whom lost the polls, that Jatav Dalits as well as a section of Muslims, seen to be the BSP’s core voter base, would not have backed the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Congress alliance had Akash Anand continued his campaign.

Also in Political Pulse | Null and void: The fall and fall of Mayawati’s BSP

In a departure from Mayawati’s style of campaigning, where she primarily trained guns on the SP and the Congress, Akash consistently slammed the BJP on issues of education, poverty, economy, and law and order. His exit, leaders said, sent a message to the Dalits and Muslims that Mayawati had succumbed to the BJP’s pressure.

“His reappointment will help the BSP shed the tag of being the BJP’s B-team. It will help rebuild trust in our core voter base of Jatavs and other Dalits and re-energise our cadre that is demoralised after the Lok Sabha poll rout,” said a party leader.

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Did Chandrashekhar Aazad’s win have anything to do with it?

In Mayawati’s sudden change of heart, several BSP insiders see the effect of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) leader Chandrashekhar Aazad’s win from the Nagina Lok Sabha constituency. The BSP won the seat in 2019, when it contested the elections in alliance with the SP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

With the BSP’s electoral fortunes declining — unlike in 2019, it failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat and its vote share in UP plummeted from 19.3% to 9.3% — the emergence of a young and popular Dalit leader such as Aazad, who seems to have the backing of Dalits as well as Muslims, is likely to have fast-tracked Anand’s reinstatement. Aazad, who did not tie up with either the SP or the Congress, won Nagina by 1.53 lakh votes, relegating the BSP to the fourth spot.

Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Aazad receives certificate after winning the Lok Sabha elections from Nagina constituency. (Photo: PTI) Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Aazad receives certificate after winning the Lok Sabha elections from Nagina constituency. (Photo: PTI)

“The BSP has no Lok Sabha MP now and Aazad will raise the issues of Dalits and Muslims in the House while travelling across the country. This will help him evolve as a Dalit leader and as an alternative to Mayawati, further weakening the BSP. To control this damage, Anand’s return was important,” said a BSP leader.

That the BSP took a hit in the run-up to the parliamentary polls because of a lack of a popular face was apparent. Mayawati remained the only prominent face of the party, with other Dalit, OBC, and Muslim leaders such as Lalji Verma, R K Chaudhary, Raja Ram Pal, Swami Prasad Maurya, Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Ramachal Rajbhar, Indrajeet Saroj, and Babu Singh Kushwaha having either switched loyalties or expelled from the party. Those left in BSP ranks are either involved mostly in organisational activities or do not have a following such as that of Mayawati and her nephew.

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What impact is Akash Anand’s return likely to have?

As national coordinator, Akash Anand’s powers in the party since 2019 were limited. He was relegated to the sidelines and did not have a say in ticket distribution for the parliamentary elections. With the Assembly elections due in 2027, a BSP leader said the party needs a young leader who can travel across the state, hold district-wise meetings, and receive feedback directly from the ground.

Sources said before he was removed, Anand had begun drawing up a strategy for the Assembly polls. This and the work to create a roadmap for the party’s revival will now gather momentum, they added. “He will also travel to other states where Assembly elections are due later this year and in 2025,” said a BSP insider.