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Journalism of Courage
Even as Akash Anand’s exact role in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) remains clouded in conjecture, another Mayawati nephew has entered the picture.
A day after he made his first public appearance at a press conference held by the BSP chief on her birthday at the party headquarters in Lucknow, Ishaan Anand, the younger brother of Akash, was present at a closed-door meeting of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit at the same venue.
The BSP ‘national coordinator’, Akash, 29, is in-charge of the Delhi Assembly elections for the party and has been declared officially by Mayawati as her political heir. However, that position is tenuous in a party that runs on Mayawati’s wishes. In May, she dumped Akash in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections, and stripped him of all positions, saying he was being removed “until he attains maturity” – only to reinstate him within six weeks.
The general belief then was that Akash’s open attacks on the BJP had not gone down well with Mayawati.
On Thursday, Ishaan, 26, was present with Akash at a meeting of senior functionaries of the BSP’s state unit and its district presidents called by Mayawati, to review party activities ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Sources said he was seated next to Akash and other senior-most BSP leaders such as national general secretary S C Mishra and its UP president Vishwanath Pal.
As Mayawati gave directives to party leaders, Ishaan made notes like Akash.
After Ishaan’s appearance at Mayawati’s press conference Wednesday, BSP leaders had denied it indicated his entry into politics, saying he had come to Lucknow for his aunt’s birthday and that all members of the family ensured their presence at the annual event.
Ishaan initially appeared a bit hesitant to join a group photo at the press conference, which included Mayawati, Akash and other senior leaders. However, he was beckoned by Akash to join the frame and stand next to him.
However, Ishaan’s presence now at the crucial BSP organisational meeting will further fuel speculation regarding Mayawati’s plans for him. A party leader admitted this, saying the 26-year-old is likely to be “active in politics in the coming days”. “With this meeting, his training has almost started,” the leader said, welcoming the move. “It will be in the interest of the party if he comes to politics and supports Akash, who is executing important responsibilities in the party.”
Sources said Mayawati herself played down Ishaan’s presence at the meeting, saying he had come to Lucknow to wish her for her birthday and merely accompanied Akash to the meeting.
A law graduate from Westminster University in London, Ishaan did his schooling from Noida and Delhi. Sources in the BSP said he looks after the management of hotels run by the family.
