Mayawati keeps Akash Anand, his sister away from BSP roles, picks another nephew

Mayawati said Akash Anand and his sister will remain outside party responsibilities, while Ishan Anand will be brought forward in the BSP. She framed the move as putting the party above family ties ahead of the September 23 All-India meeting.Mayawati cuts Akash Anand family out of BSP roles, picks another nephew Ishan AnandBahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has ruled out giving any further party responsibility to her nephew Akash Anand and his sister, saying only Ishan Anand, son of her younger brother Anand Kumar, will now be brought forward from the family.In a post on X ahead of the BSP's All-India meeting on September 23, Mayawati said she had taken the decision after considering the party's interests and her own experience of keeping family attachments separate from political work.She also made it clear that the decision to keep Akash Anand and his sister away from responsibilities would not be changed.WHY MAYAWATI IS KEEPING AKASH ANAND AND HIS SISTER AWAYMayawati said she had earlier brought Akash Anand into politics following a request from her family. However, she said his conduct and activities after his marriage had led to his separation from the BSP again. According to Mayawati, Akash Anand has become "completely entangled" with his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth. She said bringing him back into the party would amount to a "grave betrayal" and an "anti-party wrongful act" that she would not permit.Mayawati said this had left her with a dilemma over whom, if anyone, from Anand Kumar's family should be given a role in the party. After considering the matter, she said she had decided that no family member who could follow Akash Anand's path should be brought forward.She also referred to the possibility of Akash Anand's sister facing a similar situation after marriage."Keeping such a possibility in mind as well, for the sake of the party's welfare, it would now be appropriate to keep both Shri Akash Anand and his sister completely away from any responsibility in the party," Mayawati said.ONLY ISHAN ANAND TO BE BROUGHT FORWARDMayawati said Ishan Anand would instead be given a "respectable responsibility" in the BSP.She said she believed he would not face the same complications as Akash Anand or his sister, while adding that what happens in the future cannot be known.Mayawati also set out a condition for Ishan Anand. If he commits any "serious anti-party act", he too would be removed from the BSP, she said.In that eventuality, however, Mayawati said no other member of Anand Kumar's family would be given any party responsibility.Instead, she said, a "dedicated and loyal worker from the Dalit class" already working in the BSP would be brought forward.MAYAWATI INVOKES KANSHI RAM, AMBEDKARMayawati linked her decision to the BSP's founder Kanshi Ram and his approach towards family members.She said Kanshi Ram had kept his close relatives and kin away from political benefits after entering politics, allowing them to work in the party organisation only with "selfless dedication".Mayawati said she had also tried to follow that approach and had devoted her life to the Bahujan Samaj.She explained that, being a woman, she had felt compelled to keep at least one of her siblings with her, which led to her younger brother Anand Kumar working alongside her for many years.Mayawati also cited a letter written by BR Ambedkar to his son Yashwant B Ambedkar on February 23, 1956, as an example of putting public and organisational interests above family ties.According to Mayawati's account of the letter, Ambedkar warned his son over his conduct at the Buddhist Bhushan Printing Press and made clear that the press was public property, not the property of either of them.Mayawati said Ambedkar had warned that he would remove his son from the press and prosecute him if he did not follow his instructions.'THE ENTIRE BAHUJAN SAMAJ IS MY REAL FAMILY'Mayawati said the BSP's September 23 All-India meeting would take up crucial national and public-interest issues along with the question of family roles within the party.She urged party workers to focus fully on organisational work.She also said those seeking success in politics and wanting to work for society must rise above attachment to brothers, sisters and close relatives and instead work with "complete honesty and dedication"."the entire 'Bahujan Samaj' is my real family," Mayawati said, adding that her political goal was to use power to transform the community from an exploited group into the ruling class.She said she could go "to any extent even against my brothers and sisters", citing Ambedkar as an example, and described this as her own resolve.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Sep 20, 2026 15:44 IST