‘I appeal to her…’: Akash Anand urges Mayawati to take him back into BSP fold

New Delhi: Weeks after being expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Akash Anand, nephew of party supremo Mayawati, has issued a public apology and appealed for a second chance in the party. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Akash urged his aunt to forgive his past actions and allow him to rejoin the BSP.

“I appeal to her to forgive all my mistakes and give me a chance to work in the party again, for which I will always be grateful to her. Also, I will not make any such mistake in future which will hurt the self-respect and self-esteem of the party,” he wrote.

His statement comes nearly a month after Mayawati expelled him from the party, citing "selfishness and arrogance" following his removal from major responsibilities. The decision was made to uphold party discipline and the values laid down by Dr B.R. Ambedkar and BSP founder Kanshi Ram, Mayawati had said at the time.

In her post announcing the expulsion, Mayawati also criticized Akash’s reaction to the decision, calling it immature and influenced by his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, a former Rajya Sabha MP who was also removed from the party on charges of factionalism.

“The long explanation given by Akash is neither a sign of remorse nor political maturity. It reflects selfishness and arrogance, influenced by his father-in-law—something I have always cautioned party members to avoid,” Mayawati had said.

Akash Anand, once seen as Mayawati’s political heir, was being groomed for a larger leadership role within the party, especially among the youth. His expulsion came as a surprise to many within the party ranks.