Akash Anand, sacked by aunt Mayawati, makes a silent comeback as BSP’s star campaigner

Dehradun:Akash Anand, the nephew of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, is in the party’s list of star campaigners for the by-elections to be held in two Uttarakhand Assembly seats on July 10.

The development is significant as it marks Anand’s comeback since Mayawati removed him as the party’s national coordinator and also as her successor in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The BSP on Friday released the list of 13 star candidates for the by-elections to two Uttarakhand Assembly seats, with Anand’s name figuring in second place after Mayawati.

Anand will be seen campaigning in the by-election to be held for the Manglaur seat of Haridwar district. Besides him, Mayawati and other party leaders will also participate in the campaign.

The Manglaur seat was vacant after the death of sitting BSP MP Sarwat Karim Ansari on October 30 last year. This time, the BSP gave ticket to Ansari’s son Ubedur Rahman.

Along with Manglaur assembly seat, voting will also be held on July 10 at Badrinath seat in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. During the Lok Sabha election campaign, Mayawati had suddenly relieved Akash Anand of all his posts, months after declaring him as her successor.

In her message on Ambedkar and social change for which honorable Shri Kanshi Ram Ji and I have devoted our entire lives and a new generation is also gearing up to give impetus to it.

“In this direction, apart from promoting others in the party, I had declared Shri Akash Anand as the national coordinator and my successor, but in the larger interest of the party and the movement, he is removed from these two important responsibilities until he reaches full maturity,” she added.

The move came days after Anand was booked for allegedly making “objectionable” remarks during a public speech in Sitapur on April 28, where he had criticized the BJP in his speech.