New Delhi: After years of changing responsibilities, political setbacks and disagreements over his role in the Bahujan Samaj Party, BSP supremo Mayawati has officially cut ties with her nephew and former designated political heir Akash Anand. She relieved him of all party responsibilities from September 10, 2026.
Siddharth announced his retirement from politics on Thursday. Earlier reporting noted: ‘Double-minded’ loyalties: Inside Mayawati’s shocking decision to relieve Akash Anand from the BSP Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati made a shocking statement that she had relieved her nephew Akash Anand from her party on Thursday. She added, “If Akash Anand wants to be independent of the party, he is free to do so. In such a situation, he has now been completely freed from the party. The announcement comes after another episode involving Anand’s father-in-law and BSP leader Ashok Siddharth. Mayawati had asked Siddharth to leave politics as part of her efforts to protect his son-in-law’s political future. Addressing Mayawati, he wrote on X, “Every order from Behen Ji is final for me. The decision came at a time when he had been making direct attacks on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Akash was also given responsibility for the BSP’s campaign in the Delhi Assembly election. The party failed to win a seat and its vote share fell. This move followed when Mayawati found out that not only Akash Anand but also his father-in-law, former Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth prioritised their own interests over that of the Bahujan movement.
Because the nephew was recently removed as the national coordinator of the party, the decision was taken. In a post published on the BSP’s official X account, Mayawati said, “Just as Akash Anand was relieved of all important responsibilities of the senior post of national coordinator on September 3, 2026, he has now been completely freed from the party as well, effective today. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party president removed him from the post of national coordinator, saying he needed more political maturity. This was said to be after he had damaged the chances of Akash Anand in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
The BSP chief described Siddharth’s decision as a “right step” taken late. She said that if he had taken the decision earlier, the BSP, the Bahujan movement and Akash would not have faced the difficult situation that followed.
Earlier reporting noted: Ashok Siddharth makes total political retirement statement Ashok Siddharth makes total political retirement statement Earlier reporting noted: Following Siddharth’s statement on total political retirement, Mayawati commented on the internal rift in her political career, considering that the statement was made at a very late stage.
