BSP chief Mayawati reinstates nephew Akash Anand as successor after Lok Sabha election setback

NEW DELHI: BSP chief Mayawati has reinstated nephew Akash Anand as the national coordinator and her successor after setback in the Lok Sabha elections.
The decision was announced after former UP chief minister and BSP leader held a meeting to analyze the party's performance in the recent 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier in May, Mayawati announced the decision of removing Anand from the posts of national coordinator and her successor "till he attained political maturity".
The meeting in Lucknow was attended by senior party leaders, workers, and district-level officials from across the state. Anand too, was present at the meeting.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to find out the reasons behind the party's failure to secure even a single seat in the general elections. Additionally, the attendees worked on strategies to improve party's performance in the forthcoming 2027 assembly elections.
Back in May, Anand had extended support for Mayawati despite being sacked from his position, saying, "BSP chief Mayawati, you are ideal for the entire Bahujan Samaj, crores of countrymen worship you. It is because of your (Mayawati) struggles that today our society has such political strength, due to which the Bahujan community has learned to live with respect. You are our universally accepted leader. Your wish is my command. I will continue to fight for the Bhim Mission and my society till my last breath".
The BSP has experienced a significant decline in its political presence in Uttar Pradesh, a state where it has formed four governments in the past. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party secured 10 seats, but in the recent 2024 elections, it failed to win a single seat.
This sharp fall in the party's performance was further highlighted in the drop in its vote share from 19.2% in 2019 to a mere 9.3% in the current elections. The party's lowest vote share in the state was recorded during the 2022 assembly elections, where it managed to secure only 12.8% of the votes.