Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has taken the decisive step against her nephew Akash Anand by declaring him “completely freed” from the party just hours after his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth announced his retirement from politics and social life. It has gone against the expectation that Siddharth’s departure could see Anand return to the BSP with a central organisational position at a very high level.
The development is another dramatic turn in the political relationship of Mayawati and Akash Anand, who had appeared as a fresh young face of the BSP. Mayawati had only a day earlier indicated that the party might consider restoring some of Anand’s responsibilities if Siddharth completely withdrew from politics. But she chose to cut Anand out of the party upon receiving Siddharth’s retirement announcement.
Mayawati wrote on X that Anand should now be completely released from the BSP. Party workers had said Anand, having been relieved of important responsibilities, should also be free from the party itself, she said. If he wanted to remain independent, Anand could, too, she said.
1. आज श्री अशोक सिद्धार्थ द्वारा राजनीति से संन्यास लेने की घोषणा अति-देर से उठाया गया यह सही क़दम है।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) September 10, 2026
2. वैसे लोगों का यही कहना है कि अगर यह फैसला वे काफी पहले ही ले लेते तो बी.एस.पी., बहुजन समाज व बहुजन मूवमेन्ट तथा उनके दामाद श्री आकाश आनन्द को भी लगातार विपरीत परिस्थितियों…
Why did Mayawati reverse her earlier stand?
Mayawati’s recent decision was inextricably linked to her concerns for Anand’s priorities and his relationship with Siddharth. The BSP chief questioned whether Anand could efficiently work for the party and its broader political movement while still influenced by family interests.
She also pointed to Anand’s response to her previous social media post. Mayawati said that Anand had often reposted her messages in the past to show his loyalty, but didn’t share the post in which she had discussed his possible future responsibilities in the BSP.
Mayawati said this decision raised questions about Anand's commitment to the party. She said if family considerations were more important to him than his political career and the interests of the BSP movement, then it would be difficult for him to function well within the organisation.
Her comments suggest that the issue was not just about Siddharth’s political retirement but also about what Mayawati sees as a wider question of loyalty and organisational discipline.
Ashok Siddharth is retiring from politics.
Ashok Siddharth, former Rajya Sabha member and Akash Anand’s father-in-law, resigned from political and social activities on Thursday. In his emotional message, Siddharth said he was retiring immediately and expressed his deep respect for Mayawati.
If he ever had to sacrifice his life for Mayawati, he’d consider it a matter of pride, he said. The announcement came after Mayawati had repeatedly linked Siddharth’s political position to Anand's position in the BSP.
Mayawati welcomed the retirement decision as a right decision but criticised Siddharth for taking it too late. She said an earlier withdrawal would have mitigated what she described as difficult circumstances for the BSP, the broader Bahujan movement and Akash Anand.
The BSP chief also claimed that the party had wanted Siddharth to retire primarily in the larger interests of the organisation and Anand himself.
Akash Anand lost the key BSP role last week.
The announcement follows a major organisational decision taken a week ago. On September 3, Mayawati removed Akash Anand from the position of national coordinator during a national-level meeting of BSP office-bearers in Lucknow.
Mayawati said Anand needed political maturity and would not be given a major organisational role in the forthcoming months. This decision was in line with the BSP's preparations for the crucial 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Siddharth had already been expelled from the BSP on August 2 for indiscipline and anti-party activities. His political activities had become a source of friction within the party leadership.
Mayawati has said that the BSP’s Ambedkarite political tradition requires leaders and workers to prioritise the movement and organisational interests over personal and family considerations. Her recent comments on Anand and Siddharth are in line with that.
In the future, focus shifts to the 2027 elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The development is also a big opportunity for the BSP as it is going into the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Mayawati has been stressing that party workers need to continue to work to rebuild the organisation and bring the BSP back to power in the state.
She has also asked workers to focus on their political enemies and strengthen the party's grassroots presence. The BSP chief has also used the slogan “Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay”, which roughly means welfare and happiness for all, as the banner for the party’s political campaign.
The decision closes another chapter for Akash Anand in the rise of the BSP, at least for now. Once a leader of the younger generation who many thought would lead the party and could get more out of it, Anand has been removed from some of the key responsibilities and declared free from the BSP after a series of organisational mismanagement.
With Uttar Pradesh heading towards another high-stakes electoral contest, Mayawati’s focus appears to be firmly on organisational discipline and political control. We don’t know whether Akash Anand can remain in the BSP or decides to go and make independent politics, but the move shows that he’s not going to be able to get back into a senior position in the party at this point.
