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Amidst the excitement surrounding the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, it has once again been made clear within the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) that Mayawati still holds the ultimate control and final decision within the party. By once again expelling senior party leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddhartha and publicly declaring her approval of all major organizational decisions, Mayawati has sent a strong message that no one should have any confusion or ambiguity regarding the BSP’s leadership.

“Only my approval on the names of candidates”

In recent months, Mayawati’s nephew, Akash Anand, has suddenly increased his political activity significantly. He has held a flurry of organizational meetings in several states across the country, addressed large public gatherings, and even begun announcing the names of candidates contesting the elections. All this has fueled speculation within political circles that he should be considered Mayawati’s official and potential successor.

Putting an end to all these speculations, Mayawati categorically clarified that she alone makes the final decision regarding all candidates for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. She also clarified that Akash Anand publicly announces only the names of candidates who have already received her green light. She made it clear that no one else within the party has the authority to make electoral decisions.

Ashok Siddhartha Reinstated

Mayawati has once again expelled former Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddhartha from the BSP, cracking down on party discipline. She alleged that while Siddhartha was in charge of states like Karnataka, Odisha, and West Bengal, he consistently violated the party’s strict discipline. Despite repeated stern warnings, there was no improvement in his behavior. Mayawati also made it clear that there will be no way for this leader to return to the party in the future. Additionally, another senior leader, Randhir Singh Beniwal, has also been expelled from the party due to serious allegations of indiscipline.

Ramji Gautam gets major responsibility and new organizational rules

On the other hand, the party has once again expressed great confidence in Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Gautam, re-assigning him organizational command over several other states, including Punjab. He has been given the crucial responsibility of strengthening the party organization in all these states until the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Furthermore, Mayawati has also implemented a completely new rule for the party. Under this, any Uttar Pradesh leader assigned responsibility for other states will not be given any additional position or responsibility within the UP organization. Experts believe this is a deliberate strategy to strengthen its hold on the UP unit and ensure accountability ahead of the 2027 elections.

Several major ups and downs in the BSP in the last one and a half years

Reflecting on the political developments of the last one and a half years, the BSP has witnessed several major upheavals. In February 2025, Mayawati expelled Ashok Siddharth from the party due to serious allegations of factionalism. Exactly a month later, she also relieved Akash Anand of all responsibilities, citing his influence under Siddharth’s influence. However, after publicly apologizing and proving his complete loyalty, Akash Anand made a spectacular return to the party. Upon his return, he was given the important position of Chief National Coordinator, and his responsibilities were steadily increased. Meanwhile, Ashok Siddharth, who also returned to the party, was assigned only to states outside Uttar Pradesh, and has now been permanently expelled.

Mayawati’s Dual Strategy for the 2027 Battle

Political analysts believe that Mayawati is currently treading very cautiously, working on two fronts simultaneously. On the one hand, by promoting Akash Anand, she is establishing direct access to the party’s young workers and new voters, while on the other, she is consistently sending a strong message that the true supreme power and final decision-making authority in the BSP rests solely with her. However, the BSP has steadily weakened over the past few elections—winning just one seat in the 2022 UP Assembly elections and failing to open its account in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Given the tough competition from the Samajwadi Party and Chandrashekhar Azad’s party, the 2027 Assembly elections will prove to be the BSP’s biggest and most decisive battle for survival.