Lucknow/New Delhi:
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has appointed her cousin Akash Anand as his political successor.
Akash Anand, a prominent face during Mayawati's 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, is the party's national coordinator.
The veteran leader made the announcement today at an important party meeting attended by the party's office bearers.
Always a strong critic of dynastic politics, Mayawati had appointed her brother Anand Kumar as the party's national vice-president in 2019 and cousin Akash was made national coordinator.
Akash, 28, entered politics ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He was seen in several pictures alongside Mayawati and other top BSP leaders.
Before that, Akash Anand was seen at multiple BSP events and also accompanied his aunt during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh state poll campaign.
BSP leader Udayveer Singh said Anand has been given the responsibility of strengthening the party organization across the country. “She (Mayawati) said he (Anand) will be her heir after her,” he said.
The development comes a day after Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali, who recently became the target of an unsavory altercation on the floor of the House, was suspended from the BSP.
Denmark's Ali was suspended after he walked out of the Lok Sabha proceedings along with other opposition members on Friday to protest against the motion to expel Trinamool Congress' Mahua Moitra for “unethical conduct”.