2 days ago
Mayawati Tightens BSP Control Amid Succession Crisis Before 2027 Polls
Mayawati leads the Bahujan Samaj Party, or BSP.
She said reports that she was sick were false.
She also criticized her nephew Akash Anand over a phone call about her health.
Akash was removed from his party position and expelled from the BSP.
Mayawati said her brother Anand Kumar would help manage party affairs in several states.
She said her niece Deepika Anand might continue the party’s mission in the future.
She also said a Dalit party worker could receive that responsibility instead.
These changes leave the BSP without a clearly established second leader before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections.
The party has also lost votes and seats in recent elections.
Mayawati denied illness reports and said she was fit and fine.
She accused Akash Anand of spreading health rumors and prioritizing family ties over the BSP.
Akash Anand was removed as national coordinator and expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Mayawati said Deepika Anand could carry forward the party’s mission, or a Dalit worker could be chosen.
The BSP enters the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections after losing vote share and seats in recent contests.
- Who
- BSP chief Mayawati, Akash Anand, Anand Kumar, Deepika Anand, Ashok Siddharth and other BSP leaders are central to the developments.
- What
- Mayawati denied being ill, criticized Akash Anand, removed and expelled him from the BSP, and announced changes to party management and succession planning.
- Where
- The developments concern the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh and its organisation in other states, including Uttarakhand.
- When
- Mayawati’s latest clarification was made on Sunday after an alleged phone call by Akash Anand on Saturday; the wider changes concern the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
- Why
- Mayawati said she wanted workers to have accurate information about her health and to focus on the 2027 elections, while retaining direct control of the party.
Mayawati’s Position
Critics’ Concerns
Leadership centralization
Mayawati’s Position
Mayawati says she and Anand Kumar will manage party affairs and that recent decisions have benefited the BSP and its movement.
Critics’ Concerns
Critics question whether removing Akash Anand and concentrating authority will further confuse the BSP’s cadre and weaken its second-rung leadership.
Succession planning
Mayawati’s Position
Mayawati says the party is a movement rather than a family-run enterprise and has identified Deepika Anand or a Dalit worker as possible future leadership options.
Critics’ Concerns
The removal of Akash Anand leaves the BSP without a clearly established successor, creating uncertainty about its long-term direction.
Electoral impact
Mayawati’s Position
Some observers believe the organisational changes could help Mayawati regain control and still influence rival parties’ fortunes.
Critics’ Concerns
Others point to the BSP’s declining vote share, its lack of Lok Sabha seats in 2024 and its single Assembly seat in 2022 as evidence that the dispute could hurt the party before 2027.
Key facts
- Party
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
- Party chief
- Mayawati
- Action against Akash Anand
- He was removed as national coordinator and expelled from the BSP.
- Party management
- Mayawati said she would monitor Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while Anand Kumar would review organisational work in other active states.
- Succession possibility
- Mayawati said Deepika Anand could carry forward the BSP’s mission, or a Dalit worker could be given the responsibility.
- Recent electoral performance
- The BSP won zero Lok Sabha seats and received 9.39% of Uttar Pradesh’s vote in the 2024 general elections.
- 2022 Assembly result
- The BSP won one of Uttar Pradesh’s 403 Assembly constituencies, compared with 19 seats and a 22.23% vote share in 2017.
- Upcoming contest
- 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections
Quotes
Mayawati
BSP supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister
“If Akash Anand wants to remain independent, he is free to do so; he has now been completely freed from the party.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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