lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Jan 17, 2019 23:48 IST

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday said that she will make her nephew Akash Anand join the “BSP movement” so that he can learn about the Dalit movement. Her statement came after media reported about Anand, who was spotted with her at all the important public functions in the recent past, including announcement of an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Clad in blue suit, Akash was seen along side senior BSP leaders.

“Instead of fighting us fairly, they are making absurd remarks against us and conspiring with the help of some casteist and anti-Dalit TV channels. I will make Akash join the BSP movement and give him a chance to learn,” she said in a statement.

In his mid-twenties, Akash is the son of Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar. Kumar was made the vice president of the BSP for “non political” affairs.

But Mayawati said he stepped down from the post recently on his own to avoid allegations of nepotism. In 2007 when BSP formed the government, the BSP?chief announced that her successor would not be from her family but from Jatav community and 15 years younger to her.

In 2017, she introduced Anand to the senior party functionaries as an MBA graduate from London and told them that he would also be involved in party affairs. It is widely believed in Uttar Pradesh that giving prominence to Akash, she is trying to attract Dalit youths ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.