The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Monday (October 5, 2026) announced the reappointment of Akash Anand as the party’s national convenor, adding that the decision was taken in the interest of the party and the movement.

“After considerable thought, the party has decided, in the interest of the party and the movement, to once again appoint Akash Anand as the BSP’s national convenor and give him an opportunity to work in the party again,” wrote Ms. Mayawati on X.

On September 10, Ms. Mayawati had announced the ouster of her nephew Mr. Anand, setting him “completely free” from BSP. On September 3, she had removed him from the crucial post of national convenor of the party, saying that Mr. Anand prioritised his family and personal interests over the party. 

The BSP chief added, “While Anand’s personality has largely been appropriate within the party, there have been some reasons concerning him in recent days due to which necessary changes in the party organisation had to be made several times, and ultimately, Anand’s father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, was also compelled to retire from politics.”

“After this, people are seeing a lot of changes in the personality and working style of Mr. Akash Anand, most party members were saying that Mr. Akash Anand’s request should be accepted and he should be given the opportunity to work in the party again with his previous responsibilities. His father, and his younger brother, Mr. Ishan Anand, have also expressed their consent. With these few important things in mind, I now express my heartfelt and respectful gratitude to Mr. Akash Anand, his younger brother Mr. Ishan Anand, and his father Mr. Anand Kumar, for their bright political future, along with this decision taken today in the interest of the party and the movement. Not only this, but I also express my heartfelt and respectful gratitude to all the people of the Bahujan Samaj and all my well-wishers, especially those who have supported me in every situation in the recent past.” 

(With inputs from PTI)

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) appointed Ishan Anand, younger nephew of party president Mayawati, as its new national convener, days after his elder brother Akash Anand was removed from all party responsibilities. The decision was announced at a meeting of the BSP’s national executive held at the party headquarters in Lucknow, chaired by Ms. Mayawati, the party chief and a four-time former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

Mr. Anand, who has completed his Master of Laws (LLM), was present at the meeting along with his father and BSP national vice-president Anand Kumar. Ishan, in his address, thanked the party chief Mayawati for entrusting him with the responsibility of national coordinator and said he would discharge it with full honesty and dedication. 

“To all my respected colleagues, first of all, I say Jai Bhim to all of you. Friends, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the National President of the BSP, four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and former Member of Parliament, respected Mayawati ji, for entrusting me with the enormous responsibility of the post of National Convenor of the Bahujan Samaj Party, which I will fulfill with all my honesty and dedication. Furthermore, I wholeheartedly salute the great saints, gurus, and great men born from time to time in the Bahujan Samaj, especially the revered Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and the respected Shri Kanshi Ram ji, who dedicated their entire lives to empowering the people of the Bahujan Samaj, whose unfinished tasks are now being completed by respected Mayawati ji. I will never disappoint you, and I will always follow the path shown by our leaders. This is my promise to all of you. Thank you,” said Mr. Anand. 

The meeting chaired by Ms. Mayawati focused on reviewing preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab and strengthening the party’s organization. Ms. Mayawati asked party leaders to sensitize ground-level workers and supporters about the development works initiated by the party during its government. Ms. Mayawati has been making several changes in the BSP’s organizational structure in recent weeks. 

The BSP chief alleged that casteism is at its peak under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. “The extremely sad incident of suicide by a promising student from the Dalit community in a higher educational institution like IIT Mumbai proves that casteism is at its peak and the government, administration and university system are not ready to improve it,” said Ms. Mayawati.

The BSP president also criticized the central government for inflation, emphasizing its detrimental effect on poor and middle-class families. “The continuous increase in the prices of essential commodities and rising inflation will badly affect the lives of crores of poor and hardworking families, farmers, as well as the middle class,” she added. 

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday said her nephew Akash Anand has been “completely freed” from the party, shortly after his father-in-law and former Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddharth announced his retirement from politics.

“The people in the party feel that just as he was relieved of all the important responsibilities of the post of national coordinator on September 3, 2026, he should now also be completely freed from the party from today,” Ms. Mayawati posted on X.

The development comes a day after the BSP chief asked Mr. Siddharth to take “sanyas (quit) from politics” for his son-in-law to get any important responsibility in the party.

Mr. Siddharth announced his retirement through a post on X, saying the BSP chief’s command was more important to him than his family and political relationships.

‘Belated step’

Calling his retirement a “belated and right step”, Ms. Mayawati said, “Had he had taken this decision earlier, the BSP and Akash Anand would not have had to face continuous adverse circumstances. Nor would I have had to take tough decisions in the larger interest of the party and the movement amid preparations for the Assembly election.”

The BSP chief said both Mr. Siddharth and Mr. Anand were more attached to personal and family interests than to the success of the party and its movement. She criticised her nephew’s response to her social media posts wherein she said while Mr. Akash had earlier reposted her X posts to show his loyalty, he did not bother to endorse her recent post about Mr. Siddharth.

Mr. Anand has been drawing the BSP chief’s wrath from time to time. He was expelled from the party during the 2024 Lok Sabha poll and reinstated later and promoted to the post of party national coordinator.