Mayawati strips nephew Akash Anand of chief national coordinator role

At a national committee meeting in Lucknow, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati announced that her nephew Akash Anand would no longer serve as chief national coordinator, citing a need for further political maturity. While allowing him to remain active within the party, she argued that assigning him major duties at this stage could risk the party's electoral prospects against tactics like conciliation, bribery, punishment, and division.

Anand had been elevated to national convenor in August 2025, effectively placing him second in the BSP hierarchy and positioning him as a potential successor. The decision comes as the BSP confronts competition from the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), led by Chandrashekhar Azad, which is attracting younger voters. Previously, BSP leaders had urged Anand to lead a statewide campaign across all 75 districts to mobilise youth and party cadres ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.