BSP chief Mayawati with her younger nephew, Ishan Anand (on right) and brother Anand Kumar
Lucknow: The 2027 UP Assembly elections would be the first occasion when BSP chief Mayawati will steer the party’s election campaign along with her nephews Akash Anand and Ishan Anand. Akash Anand was launched as one of BSP’s star campaigners during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but Mayawati sacked him from the party on May 7, after the third phase of voting in the state. Akash had already launched his campaign for UP elections from Hathras on Aug 10 and addressed another meeting in Jewar of Gautam Buddh Nagar on Aug 25, but was then suddenly removed from the party on Sept 10.
The family has never campaigned together in any elections. That marked the end of his election campaign. If he stays with the party through the Assembly elections, it would be Akash’s first full-fledged election campaign in Uttar Pradesh . Akash has never faced any election in UP and his younger brother Ishan was given a party post — that of national coordinator — only recently. Though the party leadership has not yet decided whether one or both of them will address public meetings and rallies in UP, the siblings are likely to be keen to join the BSP’s campaign efforts if given the opportunity by their aunt. Now, with Mayawati reappointing him in his lead role in the party, he may have a new schedule worked out for public meetings in the state.
On Monday, Mayawati re-inducted Akash into the BSP, less than a month after his expulsion from the party, and re-appointed him as the national convener.