Who is Akash Anand, BSP chief Mayawati's political heir?

Mayawati had introduced Akash to senior leaders of the party back in 2017, stating that he was an MBA graduate from London who was going to get involved in party activities.

Bahujan Samai Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday proclaimed her nephew Akash Anand as her political successor amid the backdrop of a party meeting held in Lucknow. The party leaders have been asked to work to strengthen the party's standing across the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to be held next year. Mayawati seems to be expecting a turnaround for the BSP by pumping in some young blood ahead to spearhead the party ahead of the 2024 polls.

"Akash has been declared the 'uttaradhikari' by Mayawatiji," Udayveer Singh, the BSP's Shahjahanpur district unit chief, told reporters on Sunday.

So who is Akash Anand?

Akash (28) describes himself as a 'young supporter of Baba Saheb's vision' and is the national coordinator of the BSP.

Mayawati had introduced Akash to senior leaders of the party back in 2017, stating that he was an MBA graduate from London who was to get involved in the party activities.

Anand, who is the son of Mayawati's brother Anand Kumar, was appointed the party's national coordinator when the party organisation was reshuffled in 2019.

Anand had managed the election campaign strategy of Mayawati during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in 2022 along with the social media campaign of BSP during that time.

Likewise, in 2022 Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll, Anand was the second star campaigner for BSP. He was also put in charge of managing the party's cadres in some other recent state elections.