Mayawati Expels Akash Anand from BSP, Cites Family Loyalty Over Bahujan Movement Ahead of 2027 UP Polls

Ashok Siddharth announced his retirement from politics, but it did not save his son-in-law Akash Anand’s place in the BSP. Mayawati on Thursday ousted her nephew from the party, accusing him of placing family loyalties above the Bahujan movement.

The decision came a week after Anand was removed as national coordinator on September 3. Mayawati had linked his potential return to an active party role to Siddharth’s complete withdrawal from politics. When that announcement arrived, she said it had come too late.

In posts on X, the BSP chief declared Anand “fully relieved” from the party with immediate effect and urged workers to focus on securing a majority in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Why did Siddharth’s retirement fail to secure a reprieve?

Siddharth, a former Rajya Sabha MP, announced his retirement from political and social life shortly before Mayawati’s decision.

“Today, Ashok Siddharth’s announcement of retiring from politics is a correct step, albeit taken too late,” she said.

Mayawati argued that an earlier withdrawal would have spared the BSP, the Bahujan movement and Anand prolonged difficulties during preparations for the Uttar Pradesh election.

She said Siddharth should have acted immediately after her ultimatum if he was concerned about his son-in-law’s future and the party’s interests. His delay, she alleged, showed that his political ambitions “remain fully intact”.

The missing repost that drew Mayawati’s anger

Mayawati also criticised Anand for failing to repost her earlier statement on X. She noted that he had previously been quick to share her posts as a demonstration of loyalty. His silence this time, she argued, was revealing because the statement concerned his own political future.

The BSP chief interpreted that omission as evidence that family and personal interests mattered more to him than the party.

“If Akash Anand cares less about the true interests of the party and the movement, and about his own career connected to it, and more about attachments to relationships and kin, etc., then it is natural for the question to arise: How can Akash Anand, with a double mind, possibly do good for the BSP party and the movement?” she wrote.

Mayawati also said both Anand and Siddharth owed their political rise to the BSP and its leadership.

From removal as coordinator to exit from BSP

Anand’s departure follows his removal as national coordinator on September 3, when Mayawati cited the need for him to gain further maturity.

On Thursday, she extended that action to his place in the party, saying he should be “completely freed” from it.

Siddharth’s own position has also shifted in recent months. He was expelled from the BSP in March over allegations of factionalism before being reinstated in September.

The latest shake-up comes as Mayawati seeks to rally the organisation ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. She called on BSP workers to remain committed to the goal of forming a full-majority government in Uttar Pradesh.

With inputs from ANI