Lucknow: Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar, who is seen as a potential contender to don the mantle of a Dalit leader, has slammed Mayawati’s decision to name Akash Anand as her political heir.
Reminding the BSP chief of her earlier statement of keeping relatives, brothers and sisters away from politics, Chandra Shekhar, in a series of posts on X, said, “Bhim Rao Ambedkar had said, “Earlier, the king was born from the queen’s womb, but now I have made arrangements that the king will no longer be born from the queen’s womb, but from the ballot box.”
Chandra Shekhar stated, “Speaking in a public meeting, Mayawati had said that when Kashi Ram laid the foundation of this party on April 14 1984, he had decided to keep family and relatives away from politics to do something in politics selflessly. I will also keep my family away from politics and now she has forgotten her own commitment to the people.”
Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national coordinator Akash Anand has called upon party workers and supporters to gear up to fight for social justice.
Party chief Mayawati had named him her political successor at a national level meeting held at the state unit office on Sunday.
“Party chief Mayawati has entrusted upon me the responsibility of carrying forward the ideology of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, for the development of Dalits – the exploited and deprived society in the country…I will undertake the responsibility with full devotion and honesty,” Anand said in a post on social media platform X.
“The Bahujan Samaj Party is a mission, and we have to take it to every corner of the country. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all workers and supporters. The support of all young friends is very important in this journey. I want to join you, want to walk with you, because this fight for social justice is very long,” he added.
Meanwhile, a BSP leader said: “Party coordinator Akash Anand will not only face challenge from Dalit outfits working to gain political ground by making inroads into the BSP’s support base, but he will also have to prove his merit by regaining the ground that the party lost after losing power in the 2012 Assembly election in UP.”
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