Mayawati sacks nephew Akash Anand as her heir

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday night said she is divesting her nephew Akash Anand of his responsibilities as the party's national co-ordinator and her "successor", barely five months after she had anointed him.Announcing it on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said she has taken the decision in the interest of the party and the movement and till the time Anand gains "full maturity". She said her brother and Akash's father Anand Kumar will continue to fulfil his responsibilities as before.The surprise decision comes on the day voting was held for the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls in the country.
Mayawati announced her decision in a post on X, 10 days after Akash, along with other party leaders, was booked by Sitapur police in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity, among other charges under sections of the  Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act.After the case was filed on April 28, Akash returned to Delhi and all his upcoming rallies in different constituencies were cancelled.
Mayawati had declared Akash her successor in December last year and had given him the key responsibility of the party’s national coordinator. He played an active role in spearheading the party’s campaign in the Rajasthan Assembly polls last year.For the Lok Sabha polls in UP, he was to be the party’s key campaigner after Mayawati and had held around 20 election rallies.