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Journalism of Courage
Days after expelling her nephew and heir apparent Akash Anand’s father-in-law and former MP Ashok Siddharth for “anti-party activities”, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati Sunday made it clear that “rishtey-naate” (personal relationships) were not important for the party and “Bahujan-hitt” (interest of Bahujans) is her top priority.
On Sunday, Mayawati explained that she wanted certain qualities in the party’s true successor and the movement it embodies. That person should, like she did as a disciple of Kanshi Ram, dedicate their entire life to strengthening the party and enduring every pain and struggle during the process, she said.
In a slew of posts on X, Mayawati emphasised that the BSP, founded by Kanshi Ram on the principles of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, prioritises ‘Bahujan-hitt’ over self-interest and personal relations. “Following his footsteps, as a disciple and successor of Kanshi Ram ji, I too will make every sacrifice and continue the struggle till my last breath so that the Bahujan Samaj get free from political slavery and social helplessness and stand on its own,” she said.
Regarding her statement about her successor, a senior party functionary said, “Behan ji’s statement about her successor in the party is being seen as a message for Akash Anand ji. Prima facie it appears like a warning signal. This statement on X has created confusion within the party cadre about the future of the party leadership. That is because the message has come at a time when Akash is active in the field and reaching out personally to the cadres. Recently he has been asked to travel across the country for organisational works.”
Expanding on the reasons behind Siddharth’s expulsion order, BSP insiders had said that a section of senior party leaders were miffed with Siddharth being inclined to strengthen Anand’s position in the party. Apart from him, Mayawati had also fired her party’s central-state coordinator Nitin Singh, considered close to Siddharth.
During the Lok Sabha elections, Anand was thrown out of the party weeks after he targeted BJP at a rally. He was reinstated in June 2024, weeks after the party recorded its worst-ever poll showing, with Mayawati urging party leaders to “give him more respect than earlier”. After being reinstated, Anand was picked as the party’s national coordinator and Mayawati proclaimed that he would be her successor.
On Sunday, she also called upon BSP office-bearers and workers to work with accountability, loyalty, and honesty, adhering to the party’s discipline and her directives. Through her posts on X, she urged party workers to focus on strengthening the organization at the grassroots and expanding the party’s support base, so that BSP, which is the only ray of hope for the Bahujan Samaj, gets the desired success in the future.
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