Lucknow: As expected Bahujan Samaj Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday formally announced her nephew Akash Anand as her political heir and party successor.

Akash Anand is at present the National Coordinator of the BSP

Having being anointed as BSP chief, Akash Anand will now face the formidable challenge of rebuilding the party and its vote base in Uttar Pradesh, the only state where the party was in power.

Mayawati announced the decision during BSP’s All-India Party Meeting held in Lucknow.

Mayawati served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times between 3 June 1995 to 18 October 1995, 21 March 1997 to 21 September 1997, 3 May 2002 to 29 August 2003 and for a full five year term between 13 May 2007 and 15 March 2012. However, since then, the party failed to repeat its performance as it lost to the Samajwadi Party in 2012 assembly elections. Since then, the party’s performance in the UP assembly and the Lok Sabha polls have been dismal.

Akash Anand is at present the National Coordinator of the BSP. His elevation comes months ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Akash Anand is son of Mayawati’s younger brother Anand Kumar. Despite consistently criticizing dynastic politics, Mayawati, in 2019, appointed her brother Anand Kumar as the national vice president of the party, while her nephew Akash was designated as a national coordinator.

At the age of 28, Akash ventured into politics during the lead-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He appeared in numerous photographs alongside Mayawati and other prominent BSP leaders.