Mayawati Picks Nephew Akash Anand To Lead BSP Troops In Bihar Ballot Battle, Win Dalit Votes
Another Dalit outfit has thrown its hat into the ring for the battle of Bihar votes. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, considered a Dalit messiah and a four-time chief minister of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, has made her intentions clear to contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. She has entrusted her nephew, Akash Anand, with the task, once considered her successor but later fell from grace, only to be brought back into the party fold.
Akash Anand, who is the BSP's chief national coordinator, has been tasked with not only winning over the Dalit voters but also other backward castes through 'Bhaichara Committees" (brotherhood committees) and strengthening the party in Bihar. Party veteran and Mayawati's trusted aide Ramji Gautam, a Rajya Sabha lawmaker, has also been deputed to assist Akash.
Both held a party cadre meeting in Patna on June 26, and since then, the formation of Bhaichara Committees has begun. BSP has made it clear that it will not ally with any party in the Bihar polls and will contest all 243 seats. Akash Anand has the onerous task of picking the right candidates for all 243 seats and putting up an impressive fight to regain his stature within the party.
The BSP, which formed the government four times in UP with Mayawati as the chief minister, has had a continuous downfall since 2012. The BSP has only one MLA in UP right now. The party peaked by winning five assembly seats in the 2000 Bihar assembly polls, and since then has managed to pick up a few odd seats in subsequent elections, failing to win any in the 2020 edition.
Akash Anand, once considered Mayawati's successor, was suddenly expelled from the party by her aunt earlier this year in March. Just before that, Akash's father-in-law and senior BSP leader Ashok Sidharth was also expelled. Mayawati had accused Ashok Sidharth of factionalism and anti-party activities. But it was her expulsion of nephew Akash Anand that shocked the political class. Mayawati said that Akash was under the undue influence of his father-in-law and running a parallel structure within the BSP.
As shocking as the expulsion was, within weeks, Akash Anand publicly apologised and was swiftly reinstated by Mayawati, who appointed him as the chief national coordinator, albeit with a warning to keep away from party affairs in UP and his father-in-law.
Akash had then stated that he would devote his life to the party and that Mayawati was the supreme leader. Since then, he has been keeping a low profile and maintaining a distance from his father-in-law.
On June 26, he was sent by Mayawati to the Bihar party workers' meeting, and this would be his first big assignment since the comeback. The Bihar assignment is also being seen by political observers as Mayawati's bid to give Akash a base to prove his worth and regain stature within the party.
With union minister Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM also vying to consolidate Dalits behind them in Bihar, it would be a challenging task for Akash Anand.
First Published:
July 03, 2025, 07:30 IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
20 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Quality of urban governance key to ease of living: Rajya Sabha Dy Chairman Harivansh
Manesar (Haryana) [India], July 4 (ANI): Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh addressed the valedictory session of the National Level Conference of Chairpersons of Urban Local Bodies in Manesar, Haryana on Friday. In his remarks, Deputy Chairman RS Harivansh touched upon the importance of civic governance in improving the quality of life and highlighted the broader objective of 'Ease of Living' set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Harivansh also lauded the innovative efforts of various Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in addressing several local challenges through the use of technology and the efficient utilisation of available resources. 'Since 2014, alongside the emphasis on Ease of Doing Business, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also worked towards Ease of Living. In this regard, the role of Urban Local bodies is even more important,' he added. Addressing various demands for civic amenities, providing easy access to essential services through digitisation, and building capacity in solid waste management are some steps where urban local bodies have a key role to play. He urged the heads of various urban bodies to make their governance more participatory by maintaining transparency in budget allocations and measuring their outcomes. In the past, there have been recommendations to improve the accounting and auditing standards of ULBs. In his remarks, Dy Chairman Rajya Sabha Harivansh spoke about the need for state governments to decentralise and empower local bodies to ensure the 73rd and 74th amendments to the constitution are implemented in letter and spirit. He said, 'Many states have not fully taken the recommendations of the State Finance Commissions to empower local bodies financially and administratively. It is the urban schemes planned by the Union Government and the efforts of the Union Finance Commission that have supported the implementation of key projects at the city level.' As cities increase their contribution to GDP, he urged the elected representatives of various cities to focus on preparing for future challenges. 'With the increase in economic activities in urban areas, our emissions will rise too. Therefore, addressing the concerns arising out of climate change and implementing sustainable practices in our urban areas are also important,' he said. In his concluding remarks, Harivansh stated that the governance of urban areas will be crucial in achieving the nation's goal of becoming a developed country by 2047. In this regard, governance should be more inclusive and participatory to make it a people's movement. The two-day programme held in Manesar was also addressed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Chief Minister of Haryana, Nayab Singh Saini. The conference included presentations from various cities displaying best practices in different segments of civic governance. (ANI)
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Internal quota: Various parameters of backwardness of each caste to be given weightage
The commission headed by retired judge H.N. Nagamohan Das, which is looking at internal reservation among the 101 Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Karnataka, is expected to recommend classifications taking into consideration the social, economic, educational, and employment backwardness of each caste, and not see them just as broad political groupings as Dalit 'left' (Madiga and allied castes) and Dalit 'right' (Holeya and allied castes). This will be beside giving due weightage to population size and representation. Currently, a similar method has been adopted in the classification of backward classes with castes grouped together as most backward, more backward, and backward categories based on the development indicators of the castes. The commission headed by Mr. Das has been asked to recommend an internal reservation to slice up the 17% reservation (enhanced from the earlier 15%) available for the SCs. Earlier slicing formula Incidentally, when the BJP government in 2022 announced internal reservation ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, it had provided separate quota for Dalit 'left' and 'right' communities besides Korma, Koracha, and Lambani communities while providing 1% reservation for nomadic communities under the 'others' category based on population. 'Castes that can compete among equal castes in terms of backwardness are expected to be clubbed together. For example, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities, most of which fall in the most backward category, cannot be brought with castes that have moved up the ladder. Backwardness will be the prime mover, though the population size of the communities will also play a major factor. The Supreme Court in its order last year also placed backwardness and adequate representation as the basis for providing internal reservation,' sources in the commission said. 'Telangana, which recently came up with an internal reservation, has also classified castes into three categories based on backwardness. Also, the Constitution does not recognise the Dalit 'left' and Dalit 'right' groupings.' Sources said that of the 101 SCs in Karnataka, 88 castes, including 45 nomadic castes, are classified as micro-communities whose population, according to the 2011 Census, do not even constitute 10% of the total population. 'Their development indicators when compared with major SCs are lower.' The survey work to identify the population and their status in terms of employment, education, ownership of land and houses, political representation and other development indicators that started on May 5 is still under way. After the fourth extension, a new deadline of July 6 has been fixed to end the survey. Classification dilemma Sources said the dilemma over the classification of Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra, and Adi Dravida is likely to continue despite the commission seeking the original caste names from those being surveyed. 'Many have continued to be associated with these colonial-era nomenclatures, which is currently the reason for confusion. A large number of households continue to hold these certificates, also because they do not know their original caste names,' said a source in the commission. Report by end of July The H.N. Nagamohan Das commission is expected to submit its report and recommendation on internal reservation before the end of July. Sources said the commission is expected to get the final figures of population data by July 7. 'Analysis work on various parameters is already under way, and by July third week the report is likely to be ready for submission. The data on the government employees to ascertain representation has also been received as well as from the State-run educational institutions,' said the source in the commission. Of the 1.16 crore projected population of SCs in the State, the survey has identified 1.07 crore or about 92%. Though the survey has progressed well across the State, it is lagging in Bengaluru where just about 52% or about 7.04 lakh population of the projected population of 13.62 lakh has been covered to far.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Mayawati slams ‘lottery' appointments in colleges
Patna: The recent appointment of principals through a lottery system in five colleges under Patna University has sparked outrage across the academic and political spectrum, drawing sharp criticism from BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati . In a post on X on Friday, Mayawati denounced the move as a "distorted experiment" that threatens the sanctity of higher education. "The appointment of principals through a new lottery-based system in five prominent colleges of the renowned Patna University has sparked widespread discussions in the media and educational sectors," she said. The appointments, made under the directive of Bihar's governor-cum-chancellor of universities, Arif Mohammed Khan, were aimed at eliminating bias in the selection process. However, the results have raised eyebrows. For instance, chemistry professor Anil Kumar has been posted as principal of Patna College, an institution focused on arts. Similarly, Alka Yadav, a home science expert, now heads Patna Science College while Dr Suheli Mehta, who teaches arts, has been appointed to a commerce college that doesn't even offer her subject. At Magadh Mahila College, traditionally led by women, N P Verma has become only the second male principal in its history. Meanwhile, Yogendra Kumar Verma was appointed principal of Patna Law College. "These appointments raise questions about whether the Bihar govt and the chancellor are trying to justify such a system in the name of transparency and neutrality and whether this model will now be adopted in BJP-ruled states as well," Mayawati questioned. Warning against expanding such "non-expert" appointments to sensitive institutions like medical colleges, IITs or space research centres, she urged the Centre to act before this model spreads further. The appointments were made on the recommendation of the Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC), the first time such a lottery-based selection has occurred in the university's history. "Our party believes that arbitrary and distorted experiments of this kind should not be allowed in any specialised field," Mayawati said, urging "timely and appropriate" central intervention.
