The Bahujan Samaj Party’s succession question has suddenly become one of the most intriguing stories in Uttar Pradesh politics ahead of the assembly elections in 2027. As we know, Uttar Pradesh is set for what may turn out to be a pivotal election in Indian politics next year, and even though they haven’t won too many seats recently, BSP remains a major player.
For years, the obvious answer on who will succeed Mayawati as BSP supremo appeared to be Akash Anand, Mayawati’s nephew. But after a series of dramatic reversals, Akash is now out of the BSP, while his younger brother Ishan Anand has been given an important organisational responsibility. And now, the emergence of Mayawati’s niece Deepika Anand has added another twist to the succession saga.
Akash was once clearly positioned as Mayawati’s political heir. In December 2023, she named him her successor, giving the 31-year-old a prominent role as the BSP prepared for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But his political journey has been anything but smooth. He was repeatedly promoted, removed, reinstated and sidelined. Earlier this month, Mayawati again stripped him of his organisational responsibilities, saying he needed greater maturity.
Mayawati subsequently announced that Akash was completely free from the BSP, arguing that his family interests had appeared to take precedence over the party and its movement. The controversy also involved Akash’s father-in-law, former BSP leader Ashok Siddharth, whose political retirement had been linked to discussions over Akash’s future.
That immediately shifted attention to Akash’s younger brother, Ishan Anand. Within days of Akash’s removal, Mayawati gave Ishan a key organisational assignment as chief sector in-charge, overseeing BSP activity in states other than Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Ishan’s elevation does not officially make him Mayawati’s successor, but the timing ahead of the UP elections has inevitably fuelled speculation.
Then came the surprise package, Deepika Anand, Mayawati’s niece and daughter of her brother Anand Kumar. She has now entered the succession conversation. Reports following Mayawati’s latest statement suggest that she has left the door open for Deepika to assist her father in party work. This matters because Mayawati has ruled out political roles for Akash and Ishan while stressing her commitment to preventing the BSP from becoming a family-run organisation.
So, is Deepika now the frontrunner? Not necessarily. Mayawati has shied away from naming a formal political successor. Her latest moves may be less about choosing an heir and more about retaining complete control over the BSP while testing the next generation.
A larger political problem also looms. The BSP is entering the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election without a sitting MP or MLA, making the question of leadership particularly important.
For now, therefore, the succession race has moved from “Akash or Ishan” to a much wider question, nephew or niece, or maybe nobody from the family at all? Mayawati’s insistence that the BSP must not become a family organisation suggests that her ultimate choice may depend less on blood relationship and more on who she believes can protect the Bahujan Samaj Party.
