BSP eyes lost space in upcoming polls, gives spotlight to Akash Anand

Following a series of electoral setbacks, the BSP is now looking at the forthcoming Haryana assembly elections and the by-elections in Uttar Pradesh to reclaim its lost political space, and the party's young national coordinator Akash Anand is expected to play a crucial role in it.

Akash Anand, the nephew of Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, has seen a string of ups and down in the past 10 months. Mayawati named him as her political successor in December 2023, later removed him from the post calling him "immature" and subsequently reinstated him after the party's crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

Now, Akash Anand, 29, has been named in the party's list of star campaigners for the Haryana assembly polls released on Friday. In the list, his name features just after Mayawati and his father Anand Kumar.

Akash Anand's recent speeches, however, have been more measured as compared to his rallies in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, sources said.

BSP's UP unit president Vishwanath Pal told PTI that after Haryana elections, "Akash bhaiya" would also be entrusted with the responsibility of by-elections in 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The political career of Akash Anand, who has an MBA degree from a university in London, started in 2017 but it was during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign that he shot to the limelight for his fiery speeches which also led to an FIR against him for alleged use of "objectionable language" and poll code violation.

This also led to Mayawati temporarily removing him from the post of national coordinator in May. She had then also described him as "immature" but was quick to reinstate him soon after the party's poor performance in the general elections where it did not win any seats.

In fact, Mayawati subsequently urged the cadre to accord him "more respect than before".

"Mayawati's decision to remove Akash from active politics in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections disappointed the youth associated with the party. This was because Akash's rebellious attitude and direct attack on the BJP and RSS appealed to the youth," Lucknow University professor Ravikant told PTI.

The sudden move to remove him disappointed the youth and the party had to bear the brunt of it in the Lok Sabha elections, Ravikant said.

It sent a message among the youth that the party is dominated by the BJP and the Sangh, he said.

"The BSP leadership quickly assessed this and within a month and a half of the party's defeat. And that is why Akash had to be taken into the party with respect. But, by then the damage in the Lok Sabha elections had been done," Ravikant said.

"Now Akash will have to work hard to get the support of the youth once again. Akash's impact would be visible in the 2027 assembly polls," he added.

Akash Anand, seen as the party's next-gen leader, had launched an initiative earlier in the year to connect with the youth. He had released a phone number, asking the youth to connect with the party by giving a missed call. His appeal to the youth was simple: "Come with me, join BSP!"

To further the party's youth connect, Akash posts pictures of him meeting students in various universities of the state on his official 'X' handle, where he has more than 2.4 lakh followers.

He has been given a prominent role within the party from a very early age. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Akash Anand addressed his first political rally at Kothi Meena Bazaar ground in Agra.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the then Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh -- both BSP allies at the time -- and party general secretary Satish Mishra were present on the stage with Akash Anand who spoke in place of Mayawati. He was first appointed the national coordinator of BSP in 2019.

Before the Rajasthan assembly elections in 2023, Akash Anand also took out 'Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay Sankalp Yatra'.

This was significant as the BSP's campaign usually relies on mega rallies by Mayawati while the nitty gritty and outreach programmes is usually done silently by party cadres through door-to-door contacts and small local level meets.

This 'Bahujan Adhikar padyatra' that passed through many assembly constituencies of Rajasthan got instantly noticed as it had the unmistakable imprint of the young BSP leader.

Akash Anand is now busy campaigning for the party in Haryana where BSP entered into a pre-poll pact with Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in July.

Of the 90 assembly seats in the state, INLD is contesting on 53 seats and BSP on the remaining 37 seats. Abhay Chautala has been declared the chief ministerial face of the INLD-BSP alliance.

The ruling BJP has gone solo this time for the elections, while the Congress has fielded 89 candidates, leaving on seat for INDIA bloc ally CPI (M). The Jannayak Janta Party has decided to join hands with Chandrashekhar Azad's ASP for the Haryana elections.

BSP leaders said Akash Anand had a role in stitching the alliance with INLD in Haryana, where he has addressed over a dozen rallies. Haryana would go to polls on October 5.

In a post on X, Mayawati had said that the objective of the alliance is "to defeat the BJP-NDA and the Congress and their INDI alliance in the upcoming assembly elections and save the people of the state and farmers etc. who are unhappy with these anti-people parties."

Sources also said that in his election rallies, Akash Anand is focusing on the youth, raising issues like paper leak in various examinations, talking about education and jobs.

In his Haryana rallies, he is asking the youth whether they want a government that cannot provide employment or education while also raising the issue of reservation.

He is also highlighting how schools, colleges and universities were opened during Mayawati's rule in UP and urging the masses to give the BSP-INLD alliance a chance.

Sources said that even while Akash Anand is targeting the BJP in Haryana, his speeches are more "measured". "For this, he speaks slowly after looking at the tablet again and again," the source said.

BSP party workers have said that Akash Anand's reinstatement has breathed new life into the party.

Party's UP president Vishwanath Pal said, "On the instructions of Behenji (Mayawati), together with Akash bhaiya, we will win the by-elections to be held on all the 10 assembly seats in UP."

Though no date has been announced yet for the UP assembly by-elections, Pal said that BSP will put up a strong fight in the polls.

"The people of INDIA bloc have cheated PDA in the 24 elections. Now, PDA has understood where its interest lies and will side with the BSP. On the lines of 2007, we (BSP) will again form the government in 2027 and perform well in the by-elections on the 10 seats," he said. PDA stands for "pichde (people from backward classes), Dalit and alpsankhyak (minorities).

Like in 2007, we will ensure that "Behenji becomes the chief minister of the country's largest state", he said.

In 2007, the BSP had crossed the majority mark on its own, winning 206 of the 403 seats.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party contested all 80 seats in UP, but it failed to open its account. In the last assembly polls in UP, the BSP won just one seat, with 287 party candidates forfeiting their deposits.

The by-elections to the 10 assembly seats in UP, which could be held this year, are going to be the next big test for the BSP.