BSP chief Mayawati with her nephew Akash Anand.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday said her nephew Akash Anand has been “completely released” from the party soon after his father-in-law and former Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddharth announced his retirement from politics.
“People in the party feel that just as he was relieved of all important responsibilities of the post of National Coordinator on September 3, 2026, he should also be completely relieved from the party from today,” Ms. Mayawati wrote on X.
The development comes a day after the BSP chief asked Mr. Siddharth to take “sannyas (retire) from politics” so that his son-in-law gets some important responsibility in the party.
Mr. Siddharth announced his resignation in a post on X, saying that commanding the BSP chief was more important to him than his family and political relationships.
“A Late Step”
Calling her resignation a “belated and right step”, Ms Mayawati said, “Had he taken this decision earlier, the BSP and Akash Anand would not have had to face continued adverse circumstances. I would also not have had to take tough decisions in the larger interests of the party and movement in the run-up to the Assembly elections.”
The BSP chief said that both Mr. Siddharth and Mr. Anand were more attached to personal and family interests than to the success of the party and its movement. She criticized her nephew’s reaction to her social media posts, in which she said while Mr. Akash had earlier reposted her X-messages to show his loyalty, he did not bother to support her recent post about Mr. Siddharth.
Mr. Anand has drawn the ire of the BSP chief from time to time. He was expelled from the party during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and was later reinstated and appointed as the party’s national coordinator.
Published – September 11, 2026 01:43 EST.