LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati officially designated her 28-year-old, London-educated nephew Akash Anand as her political heir, putting to rest prolonged speculation regarding the party's future leadership. The announcement was made during a national-level meeting of BSP in Lucknow on Sunday.
In a rebuff to critics of dynastic politics, Mayawati chose to keep BSP's reins within her family and carry forward the legacy of Kanshi Ram, who founded the party on April 14, 1984 - BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary - and named her his successor in 2001.
MBA from UK, Akash’s active political foray began in 2017From standing in for his aunt Mayawati at a 2019 election rally to becoming her designated successor, Akash Anand has carved a distinctive path in the political landscape.
Son of Mayawati's brother and BSP vice president Anand Kumar, the 28-year-old Akash holds an MBA degree from a London institute. Despite not holding any official position in BSP until 2017, Akash has been actively involved in party activities.
During the 2017 UP assembly elections, Akash, then 22, accompanied Mayawati to public meetings, marking his initial foray into active party participation. In January 2019, after the pre-poll alliance between SP and BSP, Akash was present alongside BSP national general secretary SC Mishra to greet SP president Akhilesh Yadav during a visit to Mayawati's bungalow in Lucknow. Subsequently, he was appointed party vice president, a position he initially declined due to concerns of nepotism.
His active involvement escalated during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when he addressed an election rally in Agra for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate during Mayawati's 48-hour ban from campaigning. In May 2019, Akash was appointed as the party's national coordinator during a reshuffle after the Lok Sabha elections.
In 2022, he assumed the role of national coordinator single-handedly, a responsibility previously shared. Beyond UP, he demonstrated leadership in states where BSP has a significant presence. He organised a 13km Swabhiman Sankalp Yatra in Rajasthan's Alwar on BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary in 2022. In June 2023, Mayawati appointed him as joint in-charge for assembly elections in Rajasthan, MP, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh.
Akash's wedding to Dr Pragya Siddharth, daughter of former BSP MP Dr Ashok Siddharth, in March garnered significant attention, underscoring the growing curiosity around the emerging leader.