Akash Anand likely to contest 2024 Lok Sabha polls in UP

Lucknow, Dec 29

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has started identifying “safe” or winnable seats for its national coordinator Akash Anand, who is BSP chief Mayawati’s nephew, national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra and some other prominent leaders who may hold an influence on voters.

The party, according to sources, is facing a dearth of winnable candidates and, as of now, there is no clamour for Lok Sabha tickets -- a clear departure from days when ticket seekers would queue up at the BSP gates.

If party sources are to be believed, Akash Anand may be fielded from Ambedkar Nagar seat, which has over 60 per cent Dalit voters and is considered a BSP bastion.

Mayawati had recently declared Anand as her political successor, taking a line different from her earlier resolve to keep her family members away from the party organisation.

If he contests, this will be his first chance at the elections and the results could impact his future as a party leader.

The party may field BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, who has also not contested any elections for the party till now, from the Akbarpur seat.

Former MP Ashok Siddharth, MLC Bhimrao Ambedkar have also been asked to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

As far as the ten MPs, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for the party are concerned, majority of them are searching for options after Mayawati announced her decision to stay away from both, the NDA and the INDIA bloc.

On Thursday, Lalganj MP Sangeeta Azad grabbed headlines for meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jaunpur MP Shyam Singh Yadav had recently met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the winter session of Parliament.

He had also walked along Rahul during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in December last year.

The party’s Amroha MP, Danish Ali, had praised Rahul Gandhi and was later suspended from the party.

In case of its Saharanpur MP, Haji Fazlur Rahman, the party has decided to not repeat him in 2024 elections.

Meanwhile, party coordinators and district presidents have started identifying candidates for Lok Sabha elections. The candidates from the caste groups that have the most dominant presence in the region will be given priority. Besides, those who have potential to contest elections, which also includes finances, will also have weightage.

“OBCs and Dalits will be the focus as much as the party’s committed workers,” said a party leader.

The BSP has lost many prominent leaders since 2016 and that has also deprived the party of faces that can draw voters.