Mayawati Picks Nephew Akash Anand To Lead BSP Troops In Bihar Ballot Battle, Win Dalit Votes

Last Updated:July 03, 2025, 07:30 IST

The Bihar assignment is also being seen by political observers as Mayawati’s bid to give Akash a base to prove his worth and regain stature within the party

Akash Anand, who is the BSP’s chief national coordinator, has been tasked with not only winning over the Dalit voters but also other backward castes through 'Bhaichara Committees' (brotherhood committees) and strengthening the party in Bihar. File pic

Another Dalit outfit has thrown its hat into the ring for the battle of Bihar votes. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, considered a Dalit messiah and a four-time chief minister of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, has made her intentions clear to contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. She has entrusted her nephew, Akash Anand, with the task, once considered her successor but later fell from grace, only to be brought back into the party fold.

Akash Anand, who is the BSP’s chief national coordinator, has been tasked with not only winning over the Dalit voters but also other backward castes through “Bhaichara Committees" (brotherhood committees) and strengthening the party in Bihar. Party veteran and Mayawati’s trusted aide Ramji Gautam, a Rajya Sabha lawmaker, has also been deputed to assist Akash.

Both held a party cadre meeting in Patna on June 26, and since then, the formation of Bhaichara Committees has begun. BSP has made it clear that it will not ally with any party in the Bihar polls and will contest all 243 seats. Akash Anand has the onerous task of picking the right candidates for all 243 seats and putting up an impressive fight to regain his stature within the party.

The BSP, which formed the government four times in UP with Mayawati as the chief minister, has had a continuous downfall since 2012. The BSP has only one MLA in UP right now. The party peaked by winning five assembly seats in the 2000 Bihar assembly polls, and since then has managed to pick up a few odd seats in subsequent elections, failing to win any in the 2020 edition.

Akash Anand, once considered Mayawati’s successor, was suddenly expelled from the party by her aunt earlier this year in March. Just before that, Akash’s father-in-law and senior BSP leader Ashok Sidharth was also expelled. Mayawati had accused Ashok Sidharth of factionalism and anti-party activities. But it was her expulsion of nephew Akash Anand that shocked the political class. Mayawati said that Akash was under the undue influence of his father-in-law and running a parallel structure within the BSP.

As shocking as the expulsion was, within weeks, Akash Anand publicly apologised and was swiftly reinstated by Mayawati, who appointed him as the chief national coordinator, albeit with a warning to keep away from party affairs in UP and his father-in-law.

Akash had then stated that he would devote his life to the party and that Mayawati was the supreme leader. Since then, he has been keeping a low profile and maintaining a distance from his father-in-law.

On June 26, he was sent by Mayawati to the Bihar party workers’ meeting, and this would be his first big assignment since the comeback. The Bihar assignment is also being seen by political observers as Mayawati’s bid to give Akash a base to prove his worth and regain stature within the party.

With union minister Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM also vying to consolidate Dalits behind them in Bihar, it would be a challenging task for Akash Anand.

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News elections Mayawati Picks Nephew Akash Anand To Lead BSP Troops In Bihar Ballot Battle, Win Dalit Votes