Who is Akash Anand, the successor of BSP chief Mayawati

Team Udayavani, Dec 10, 2023, 2:46 PM IST

Source: X / @Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati around 15 years ago, emphatically stated, “Whenever I will declare my successor, he will not be from among my siblings or relatives.” However, this was all not to be.

Mayawati has identified her nephew, Akash Anand, as her potential successor (‘Uttaradhikari’) to lead the party, a move that has sparked considerable interest in political circles.

So who is Akash Anand? 

• 28-year-old Akash is Mayawati’s nephew and son of her brother Anand Kumar.
• In 2017, while introducing Akash to BSP senior leadership, Mayawati had introduced him as an MBA graduate from London.
• Akash Anand has been actively involved in steering the party’s affairs, notably taking charge of the party’s operations in Rajasthan for the past year.
• Akash Anand debuted into active politics as a star campaigner for the BSP in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
• He was also elevated to the position of BSP’s National Coordinator in the same year. Since then, his influence within the party structure has been steadily mounting.
• Akash also steered BSP’s social media initiatives during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
• Holding the position of BSP’s national coordinator,
• In his social media bio, Akash identifies himself as a “young supporter of Baba Saheb’s vision”. He had actively participated in the 13-km “Swabhiman Sankalp Yatra” held in Alwar to mark the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar.
• Akash Anand’s growing stature within the party ranks was showcased during the state-level review meeting in Lucknow in August 2023, convened by Mayawati to assess the party’s readiness for the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
• Akash also led the BSP’s 14-day ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay Sankalp Yatra’ held in August this year.
• Akash Anand had addressed his maiden political rally in 2019, advocating support for the Samajwadi Party-BSP-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance during a period when the Election Commission imposed a 48-hour campaign ban on Mayawati.