Amid preparations for the 2027 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has once again handed over the command of the election campaign to her nephew Akash Anand. Akash's return after being expelled from the party several times is not only being seen as a strategy to woo the youth but is also being linked to the lack of a credible second line leadership in the BSP.
Political analysts believe that amid continuous electoral challenges and senior leaders leaving the party, Mayawati is facing a crisis of finding a face on whom she can trust and who can be entrusted with the responsibility of the organization. BSP is also facing the challenge of connecting the youth with its traditional vote bank.
To strengthen its hold among the youth in the changing political circumstances, the party needs such a leadership, which can raise the issues of the new generation and also activate the organization. In such a situation, the role of Akash Anand becomes important.
However, political analysts have their own opinion on how important is the strategy of harnessing the youth and how important is the lack of credible leadership options behind his return. According to senior political analyst Ratanmani Lal, limited options for youth leadership in BSP could also be an important reason behind bringing Akash Anand forward again.
He said that there is a good presence of young leaders in Azad Samaj Party and its chief Chandrashekhar himself is young. Similarly, Samajwadi Party is also trying to keep the youth ahead. In such a situation, BSP also faces the challenge of clarifying its strategy regarding youth leadership.
Ratanmani Lal believes that Mayawati has done many experiments regarding Akash Anand in the last few years. Giving them responsibility, then removing them and bringing them forward again has been part of this process. During this time, Mayawati also tried to bring forward another young face as an alternative to Akash, but no such face emerged in BSP, who could be established as the representative of the party at a wide level.
He said that earlier there used to be many second-line leaders in BSP who were considered trustworthy of Mayawati, but now many of them have distanced themselves from the party.
In the current situation, the biggest question related to leadership before Mayawati is trust. They need a person on whom they can trust for the responsibility of the organization. According to Ratanmani Lal, Akash Anand's youth is an added advantage in his favor, but the root cause of his comeback could also be the lack of a reliable option.
He believes that if Mayawati had found another suitable face in the last three-four years, she too could have been given the responsibility. The situation is not completely clear on the basis of which allegations Akash was earlier removed from the party.
However, Ratanmani Lal believes that before returning, assurance would have been taken from Akash not to repeat such mistakes in future. According to him, Mayawati knows that after giving Akash a second chance, her leadership options are limited, hence it will be necessary for her to take this responsibility seriously.
At the same time, senior political analyst Rajendra Kumar says that due to continuous election defeats and separation of big leaders of the party, a crisis of trust has arisen in BSP. The organization has been weakened by senior leaders leaving the party one after another and after Mayawati, there is no widely recognized face left in the second line on whom it can trust for the responsibility of leadership.
According to Rajendra Kumar, in such a situation, it has become necessary for the party to bring forward Akash Anand, so that the leadership option remains. Keeping out a prominent face during elections and then making a change in leadership can increase uncertainty for the organization. Mayawati is understanding this challenge and that is why Akash has been brought back and made active in party work and election campaign.
Meanwhile, Mayawati has said that Akash Anand has now started working hard and fast in discharging his responsibilities, giving priority to the work of the party and the Bahujan movement. He said that the people of Bahujan community have a lot of expectations from Akash.
In this sequence, Akash Anand will participate in party programs organized in various states including Uttar Pradesh in the coming days. According to Mayawati, Akash Anand will address BSP's public meetings in Bulandshahr on 28 October, Saharanpur on 2 November, Ayodhya on 20 November, Agra on 22 November and Kanpur city on 29 November.
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