Mayawati decides to reinstate Akash Anand as BSP Successor and this strategic move is seen as a means to cater to the Dalit youth, and reconfigure the image of the party in the eyes of its voters.
Story: Avani Kulshreshtha
Edit: Nitya Kaimal
Following the announcement of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, Mayawati announced that her nephew, Akash Anand would be her sole successor as well as the National Coordinator of BSP, reversing her previous decision. Although Mayawati has previously served three terms as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, her party faced a huge loss in these elections and did not secure many votes even amongst the Dalits.
This decision to appoint the 28-year-old Akash Anand as her successor is being perceived as an attempt to rejuvenate the Bahujan Samaj Party and form a secure image amongst the youth. This comes after Chandra Shekhar Azad won in the Nagina constituency, as evidence of his positive influence amongst the Dalit youth. He won by over 1,50,000 votes, defeating his rival from the BJP, who managed to secure only 14,272 votes.
Akash Anand, also the president of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) will continue to hold all his positions in the party. There was significant online support observed on June 8 and June 9, when #AkashAnand started trending on X. This serves as a testimony to the confidence placed in Akash Anand by the party supporters.
Also read:Lok Sabha Elections and Chandrashekhar’s Rise to Power
Previously, Akash Anand had been appointed as BSP’s successor in December 2023, but then removed on May 7 2024, during the peak of the Lok Sabha elections. The decision to reinstate him as Mayawati’s successor is proof of Akash’s growing influence on the party members as well as the party supporters. Chandra Shekhar Azad, who is preparing for by-polls to 10 Assembly seats, plans to increase his influence and take advantage of BSP’s eroding electoral base. Consequently, it is now a political rivalry between two youth Dalit leaders.
The BSP has faced a significant downfall in the previous decade. While it had managed to secure 27.42% of the votes in 2009, this figure plummeted to just 9.39% by 2024, with over 70 out of 80 candidates unable to secure any seats. This has resulted in the decreasing influence of the party over the Dalits as well as its Uttar Pradesh voter base.
Also read: Dalit and Adivasi contribution in West Bengal Lok Sabha elections
Mayawati’s call to bring back Akash Anand to a powerful position is therefore being seen as a way to redefine the Bahujan Samaj Party after years of losing influence over the Dalit voter base and to counter Chandra Shekhar Azad’s rising influence over the Dalit youth. Akash Anand will play an important role in the process, and BSP’s future and national prospects depend on him.
*दलित टाइम्स उन करोड़ो लोगो की आवाज़ है जिन्हें हाशिए पर रखा गया है। *
महिला, दलित और आदिवासियों के मुद्दों पर केंद्रित पत्रकारिता करने और मुख्यधारा की मीडिया में इनका प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए हमें आर्थिक सहयोग करें।
