Mayawati Cuts Akash Anand Loose From BSP After Father-in-Law Quits Politics

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has said her nephew Akash Anand has been "completely freed" from the party, a decision that followed within a day of his father-in-law and former Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddharth announcing his retirement from politics.

In a post on X, the BSP chief said party workers felt that just as Mr. Anand had been relieved of all key responsibilities attached to the post of national coordinator on September 3, 2026, he should now also be fully detached from the party.

The move came a day after Ms. Mayawati publicly asked Mr. Siddharth to take "sanyas" from politics, framing it as a precondition for his son-in-law to be given any significant role in the party. Mr. Siddharth responded through his own post on X, stating that the party chief's instruction carried more weight for him than his family and political ties.

Describing the retirement as a "belated and right step", Ms. Mayawati said that had the decision come earlier, both the BSP and Mr. Anand would have been spared a run of adverse circumstances. She added that she would not have been forced to take difficult decisions in the larger interest of the party and its movement at a time when preparations for the Assembly election were under way.

The BSP chief said both Mr. Siddharth and Mr. Anand had shown greater attachment to personal and family interests than to the success of the party and its movement. She also took aim at her nephew's conduct on social media, noting that while he had earlier reshared her posts on X to demonstrate his loyalty, he did not endorse her recent post concerning Mr. Siddharth.

Mr. Anand has drawn the party chief's displeasure on earlier occasions as well. He was expelled from the BSP during the 2024 Lok Sabha election and was later reinstated, going on to be promoted to the position of national coordinator.