Mayawati picks brother Anand as successor

Succumbing to pressure of the party cadre after Bahujan Samaj Party's debacle in 2017 Assembly polls, the BSP supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday announced her brother Anand Kumar as her successor and broadly hinted to have a tie up with the Samajwadi Party if any offer came from SP President Akhilesh Yadav.

Addressing party workers at Ambedkar Sthal on the occasion of 126 birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, Mayawati said that the BJP was her first enemy and to ensure its defeat, she may go to any extent to save the democracy.

"Sometimes you need poison to counter poison. To save democracy in the country and keep BJP away, the BSP will welcome any offer for tie-up with anyone, including the Samajwadi Party," she announced.

Earlier, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, too, had talked about forming a grand alliance in UP with Opposition parties, including the BSP, to take on the BJP in 2019. If political sources are to be believed then Akhilesh had recently called on Mayawati and both had agreed to bury hatchets to embark on a new political beginning.

The SP and BJP had struck a tie-up in 1993 after demolition of Babri mosque in 1992 when Kalyan government was sacked and President's Rule was imposed. Both SP and BSP had formed a coalition government, headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav, by defeating the BJP in 1993 Assembly polls.

But the tie-up did not last long in the wake of State Guest House episode on June 2, 1995 after an overambitious Mayawati suddenly withdrew support from Mulayam. Infuriated SP supporters had abducted many BSP MLAs and had holed up Mayawati in suit number 1 of the guest house, situated at Meerbai Marg in Lucknow.

Later, she became the first Dalit Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1995 with BJP support and held the office for two terms.

Significantly, a subdued Mayawati also broke BSP's tradition of not allowing relatives of party leaders to join in the BSP. She not only nominated her brother Anand Kumar as the BSP Vice-President but also announced him to be her successor and heir apparent. His brother will now play an active role in party affairs.

The announcement might come as a pinch of salt to her two lieutenants Satish Chandra Mishra (her Brahmin face) and Naseemuddin Siddiqui (BSP's Muslim face) who were hoping to take reins of the party after Mayawati.

The Income-Tax department had recently raided residence and other premises of Anand Kumar in connection with Rs 105 crore tax deposit after demonetization. The I-T Department has already issued notice to Kumar in this connection. Kumar is alleged to be the money bag of Mayawati. Several accounts, buildings and properties are in his name. He was a clerk in Noida Authority and is alleged to have amassed huge wealth during Mayawati's rule.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, she reiterated her allegation that her party's debacle was due to tampering of EVM machines at the behest of BJP. "BJP had made a lower caste as the party state president but they chose an upper caste (Yogi) when it came to appointing a chief minister," she alleged.

Soon after SP was routed in the 2017 Assembly polls, Akhilesh had offered Mayawati to join hands with the SP and other political parties to renew political ties. BSP sources claim that with Mulayam sidelined by his own son Akhilesh, Mayawati should have no problem in going along with Akhilesh's SP after 22 years of political separation.

It won't be a big surprise if both SP and BSP join hands in ensuing municipal polls and Lok Sabha by-polls on two seats vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Phulpur.