Inside Mayawati's Family Tussle: Changing Roles And An Upcoming Election

Lucknow: The entire top brass of the Bahujan Samaj Party must have spent a restless Sunday night owing to the war within the party's first family, which appears to threaten the BSP's battle readiness for the coming UP assembly election. At the heart of the tumult are "Bua" (aunt) Mayawati and her two "bhateeje" (nephews) -- Akash and Ishan.Two developments rocked the party on Sunday, indicating that bad news linked to the party can't be ruled out in the near future.First was that Akash Anand, the party's virtual Number 2 till four days ago, changed his X bio for the second time in as many days.On September 3, he was branded "not mature" by BSP chief Mayawati at a meeting of office-bearers. He was ousted from the National Convenor's post.His Twitter bio reflected the sudden change in his status within the party. From BSP "National Convenor", he became "Party Worker, BSP". Just a few days later, he made another edit to his bio. "Party Supporter, BSP," it said, indicating that the family infighting took a turn for the worse.Those who know what goes on in the BSP say Akash Anand's change of heart was, in fact, a signal that he was trying to put some distance between himself and the party.Also read: Promote, Punish, Repeat: Decoding Mayawati's Akash Anand PuzzleThe second development was linked to Akash's younger brother, Ishan Anand.On September 3, when Mayawati entered the venue of the meeting of office-bearers, Ishan was walking behind her. Wearing the BSP's blue sash around his neck, he stood behind his aunt till she settled down.He made his first major political appearance on the centre stage on January 17, 2025, in Lucknow during Mayawati's 69th birthday celebrations. His debut gave rise to speculation that the top leadership might groom him for a broader role.Like his brother, Ishan, also called Ishu within the party circle, he has also changed his X bio. "Chief Sector Coordinator," it reads now, proving the speculation right.After being handed the new role with a swanky title, he is expected to handle crucial states such as West Bengal and Odisha. He has been deputed to review the party's work in the states, stay in direct touch with sector in-charges in the two states, and submit regular progress reports to Mayawati and Anand Kumar, his father and BSP vice president."Mayawati is out to signal that she is angry with Akash. And by bringing in Ishan, she is telling party cadres that there is no successor to her. We fear a repeat of the events of March 2, 2025, when Akash was removed from the post of National Coordinator for the second time, and on March 3, he was expelled from the party," a party source said.He was referring to the events that have led to Akash's three promotions in four years and three punishments in three years.Akash's big moment had come in 2022 when he was made the national coordinator and given charge of poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.Also read: Mayawati's Tough Love: Nephew Akash Anand Benched Again. What It Means For BSPOn September 10, 2023, Mayawati anointed him her successor at a national-level party meet.On May 7, 2024, Mayawati posted on X that Akash was being stripped of two significant responsibilities till he attained maturity. He was removed from the National Coordinator post, and the successor status was withdrawn.But on June 23, 2024, he was back as BSP's National Coordinator and Mayawati's heir.But in March 2025, the axe fell for the second time. On March 2, 2025, Mayawati again ejected him from the two roles.On March 3, 2025, Mayawati claimed he was "under the influence of his father-in-law and expelled one-time confidante Ashok Siddharth".On April 13, 2025, Akash issued a public apology and was readmitted to the party. In August 2025, Mayawati created a new national convenor post and promoted Akash to it. He was removed from this post earlier this month.A senior BSP leader, who has closely observed the party's functioning for years, believed that Mayawati had acted against Akash to nip in the bud any possibility of him emerging as a parallel power structure.Party insiders claim that Mayawati has a strong feeling that Akash Anand is still under the influence of his now-expelled father-in-law. They want to influence candidate selection and fundraising in states, she believes.By promoting Ishan and downgrading Akash, she has indicated to her party that no one but she has the power to control the party.In a follow-up exercise to Akash's removal, she has taken full charge of the election in the state most crucial for the BSP. A party document circulated among top leaders shows that, from now on, all matters regarding two poll-bound states -- Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand -- will be dealt with directly from the Lucknow headquarters.This puts the party vice president and Mayawati's brother, Anand Kumar, in a piquant situation. Both Akash and Ishan are his sons. He has lived under the shadow of his sister's towering figure. On almost everything in the family, the buck starts and stops with Mayawati. She worked as a teacher from 1977 until 1984 after earning her B.A. from Delhi's Kalindi College, a B.Ed. from Meerut University's VMLG College, and later finishing an LL.B. from Delhi University. She is said to have ensured that her nephews pursue a good education, and as a result, both Akash and Ishan studied in the UK to earn degrees.Akash Anand had his initial education in Delhi and Noida. He later completed an MBA at the University of Plymouth in the UK. Ishan, meanwhile, has a degree in legal studies from the University of Westminster, London. Both sons have been managing the various businesses owned by the family.Barring leaders like Satish Mishra, Mayawati has a trust deficit issue with most other leaders in the party. That's why her brother Anand Kumar is the lone vice president in the party.When it came to picking a successor, she chose Akash initially. And since Akash is out and Ishan seems to be in, BSP leaders are wondering if the party will have a young face at the front.A senior leader said, "Behanji has been voicing her concern over two things for some time. One is how to protect BSP's traditional Dalit-Jatav vote bank, and the other is how to counter the rise of the Azad Samaj Party."The BSP needs a counter to Azad Samaj Party's Chandrashekhar Azad. He has emerged as a vociferous champion of Dalits, and young Dalit voters are beginning to lean towards his party.Till September 3, BSP cadres felt that Akash was given the number two post to counter the threat posed by Azad. But now they await Mayawati's verdict on both her nephews.