Lucknow: Today, BSP Supremo Mayawati has appointed her brother and her nephew to top posts in the party thus ensuring that the pro-dalit party faces the same fate as most of the parties in India – a family affair. Her brother Anand Kumar is appointed as the National Vice President of the party while his son Akash Anand is the new National Coordinator of the party.
Anand Kumar was earlier removed from the post because party members had objected to family members being promoted to top positions in the party. However, after the Lok Sabha elections, Mayawati decided to install her brother to the post.
During 2017, Anand Kumar was the number two in the party. He was given the top post after an assurance that he would not be a MLA, MP, Minister, and will not be considered for the Chief Minister’s post.
Akash Anand was active during the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections and had accompanied his aunt to election rallies. He had joined the party just before the Lok Sabha elections was active during the electioneering period and had cemented his rapport with the BSP chief which led to his appointment as the national coordinator.
Reports say that between 2007 and 2014, when Mayawati was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, there has been an exponential growth in Anand Kumar’s assets.
Barring BJP and few other political parties, most of the prominent parties in India has functioned as a family business. This has led to an undemocratic practice in most the parties and do not augur well for a democracy like India.