Base eroding, Mayawati now fields nephew to counter Bhim Army

With Bhim Army emerging as a serious threat, the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – till now a predominant voice of Dalits, especially in Uttar Pradesh -- is working on a plan to counter the latest threat to its vote-bank. At the centre of this carefully-crafted plan is Aakash Kumar, the 24-year-old London-returned management graduate nephew of the BSP supremo.

Kumar, party sources say, has been given the responsibility of starting the youth wing of the BSP, aimed at luring back the substantial number of Dalit youth, many of who had voted for BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha as well as the recently-held UP Assembly polls.

The BSP's UP unit president Ram Acahl Rajbhar gives an indication into the new thought within the party. "Time has come that a platform is provided to young Dalits who are being misguided and used by other political parties and newer outfits (read Bhim Army)," says Rajbhar.

Sporting jeans and T-shirt, the bespectacled young member of BSP chief's family, was introduced to the party workers for the first time in a meeting a week after Mayawati announced direct anointment of her brother Anand Kumar as the party vice-president on April 14.

Without seeking any reaction from party leaders and workers, Mayawati casually declared that Aakash will look after party affairs. Though majority of party leaders have no clue about new entrant's role but they got a broad hint that behenji wants to groom Aakash to take care of the party if the CBI nails and jails her brother in disproportionate asset case.

Age and health issues seem to have caught up with the 61-year-old BSP chief. She suffers from asthma and is allergic to heat, dust and changing weather. On April 14, she cited health reasons for making Kumar as party vice-president.

"The sudden induction of two family members into BSP is a clear indication that she wants to hand over party reins to a family members, just like any other politician, rather to those who sulked for years," rues a party leader.

Gripped with the fear psychosis of who will look after the BSP in her and Anand's absence, Aakash was the natural choice and heir apparent for ageing Mayawati. Young, suave and educated, Aakash is going to be the BSP's youth face in days to come.

Since BSP does not have a youth wing, Aakash fits into the bill. The BSP Supremo has already entrusted his close associate Ashok Siddharth, BSP Rajya Sabha MP and Head of newly-created East and West Zones in the state to groom her nephew.

Upset with growing influence of Bhim Army as a new outfit championing the causes of Dalit youth, Mayawati did not waste time to showcase the BSP's young face. Aakash shared the political dais with Mayawati for the first time during her visit to riot-hit Saharanpur on May 23. After enjoying the London weather, he hit the dusty roads and braved the sultry heat of 44 degrees to see the real condition of the dalit samaj his 'Bua' represents.

He is yet to be introduced to sparkling white khadi and kurta, manadtory for Infia politicians. Clad in jeans and T-Shirt again, Aakash looked confident at the dais waving hand to the crowd. He warmly met dalit families of victims of sectarian clashes at Thakur-dominated Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur, during his visit.

"He showed sympathy with them, noted their grievances, took their mobile numbers and addresses and assured them to raise their voice and help them," claims Mahesh Kumar, who was present in May 23 meeting of the BSP chief.

Party sources claim that Aakash has become Mayawati's favourite for replacing Paresh Mishra, son-in- law of Satish Mishra, who was earlier being dubbed as BSP's youth face. Though she is facing charges of promoting nepotism, Mayawati has little choice to find trusted leaders than to promote members of her own clan after KK Gautam, Swami Prasad Maurya, RK Chowhdary and Nasemuddin Siddiqui deserted her.