Danish Ali appointed as BSP leader in Lok Sabha
AMN / LUCKNOW
BSP chief Mayawati has appointed her brother Anand Kumar as party Vice-President and nephew Akash Anand, 24, party’s national coordinator along with senior leader Ramji Gautam at BSP national convention here on Sunday.
At a meeting of parties leaders and workers, the BSP chief also appointed JD(S) turncoat Danish Ali, party MP from Amroha as leader of Bahujan Samaj Party in Lok Sabha. BSP had won 10 of 38 seats it had contested in UP during 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The fresh appointments done by Mayawati on Sunday assume significance ahead of bypolls on 12 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh. In a major policy shift, BSP has decided to contest the bypoll unlike earlier, when party used to field candidates in any of the by-election.
Even in 2018 Gorakhpur, Phulpur and Kairana bypolls, BSP had extended support to SP candidates instead of fielding its candidates. In fact, SP-BSP-RLD alliance finds its genesis to 2018 UP bypoll.
The Sunday national convention here at BSP headquarters, was attended by all newly-elected MPs, MLAs and key-post holders of the blue brigade from all across the country.
Making changes in organisational set up of the BSP, Maya decided to have two national coordinators. Besides Akash Anand, Ramji Gautam will shoulder the same responsibility, Gautam has been party’s vice –president.
Mayawti’s brother Anand Kumar had been party’s national vice president earlier also. He was appointed to the party post in October 2017. But Mayawati had dismantled all the party organisations and removed Anand Kumar from the prestigious party post on May 26, 2018 as she then faced the charges of promoting family and mixing it with the party.
Mayawati had then announced that no member her family would even contest any poll to become MP or MLA representing the BSP.
On the contrary, the elevation of Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand is being considered crucial as it is speculated that he is the heir apparent of the BSP chief and would eventually take over the party reins. When Akash was included in the list of party’s star campaingers ahead of 2019 elections, a BSP leader had claimed that Akash’s presence with Maywati everywhere could be an indication of the beginning of an exercise to give him something big in the near future.
Akash could be spotted standing behind the BSP supremo at every rally during polls. Interestingly, at the national conventions, the BSP supremo was seen in her elements when she ordered all the participants, including the MPs, MLAs and senior most party leaders to keep their mobile phones and even car keys outside the convention hall.