Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati officially announced her nephew Akash Anand as her political successor on Sunday. Akash Anand will now face the formidable challenge of rebuilding the party and its vote base in Uttar Pradesh, the only state where the party was in power. Mayawati announced the decision during BSP’s All-India Party Meeting held in Lucknow.

Speaking to the media about the meeting, BSP leader Udayveer Singh said, “BSP chief Mayawati has announced Akash Anand (Mayawati’s nephew) as her successor.”

#WATCH | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Udayveer Singh says, “BSP chief Mayawati has announced Akash Anand (Mayawati’s nephew) as her successor…” pic.twitter.com/nT1jmAMI29

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2023

---Advertisement---

Furthermore, Singh said that Anand will be working in states where the party is weak ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year.

The crucial announcement comes just months before the next general election to be held in April-May. Akash is the son of Mayawati’s younger brother, Anand Kumar, who is considered next to the former chief minister in the BSP. Anand, 31, joined the BSP in 2016 and was listed as one of the star campaigners for his party during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

At the age of 28, Akash ventured into politics during the lead-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He appeared in numerous photographs alongside Mayawati and other prominent BSP leaders.

Mayawati served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times between 3 June 1995 to 18 October 1995, 21 March 1997 to 21 September 1997, 3 May 2002 to 29 August 2003 and for a full five year term between 13 May 2007 and 15 March 2012. However, since then, the party failed to repeat its performance as it lost to the Samajwadi Party in 2012 assembly elections. Since then, the party’s performance in the UP assembly and the Lok Sabha polls have been dismal.

Also Read: Watch | A Village Where Every Resident Owns A Private Plane