LUCKNOW: In a major development unfolding in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), party national president Mayawati, on Thursday, said that Akash Anand, her nephew, and former national convener of the party, has been “fully relieved” from the party.Though she did not openly say that he has been expelled from the party, sources in the party confirmed the same.In a long post on X, she said that just as he was relieved of all the important responsibilities of the highly crucial position of national convener of the party on September 3, 2026, “he should now be completely freed from the party starting today. Thus, if he wants to remain independent in the party now, he is independent, meaning, he has been fully relieved from the party.”Mayawati’s reaction came a few hours after Akash Anand’s father-in-law, and expelled senior party leader, Ashok Siddharth, announced his retirement (sanyas) from politics in a long post addressed to “Behenji” (Mayawati) on Thursday.His post had come following the statement issued by Mayawati, on Wednesday, in which she had said that if Ashok Siddharth wants good for his son-in-law, Akash Anand, he should take “sanyas” from politics completely, so that Akash can work freely in the party.Akash, however, was “relieved” from the party, because he did not repost what Mayawati said on Wednesday.That’s what Mayawati pointed out, on Thursday. She said that Akash Anand was so “strongly attached” to his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, that he did not repost what she had said about his retirement on Wednesday.“Whereas earlier, he used to try to prove his loyalty by reposting posts from the BSP chief’s X,” she noted on Thursday.After Ashok Siddharth posted about his retirement, Mayawati appreciated his decision saying, “Ashok Siddharth’s decision to retire from politics is a good thing, just like the proverb Better late than never, but also said that if he had genuine concern for his son-in-law, Akash Anand, he would have retired yesterday itself.“But this did not happen. It proves that the flaw and ambition in Ashok Siddharth’s intentions have not diminished at all,” said the BSP chief.She hit out at both Ashok Siddharth and Akash Anand, saying that have less attachment to the success of the party and the movement and more to their personal and familial interests.“It is the BSP. that has elevated both of them, along with many others, from the ground to the heights of the sky. In such circumstances, when Akash Anand cares less about the true interests of the party and the movement, and about his own career connected to it, but more about attachments to relationships and kin, then it is natural for the question to arise that how will he, with a double mind, possibly do good for the party,” said Mayawati.This is the third expulsion of Akash Anand from the party. First, it was in May 2024, then in March 2025. Each time he was taken back within a month and also promoted in the party.Mayawati’s Thursday post was reposted by Ishan Anand, Akash Anand’s younger brother, whom Mayawati has lately assigned significant responsibilities in the party.
