Overview

• Mayawati has named Akash Anand as the party’s chief national coordinator, a newly created position that makes him effectively the BSP’s second-in-command
• The BSP chief defended the decision by citing the party’s tradition of reinstating remorseful members and emphasizing its commitment to Bahujan welfare
• ASP leader Chandra Shekhar Azad attacked the move as compelled by necessity and asserted that Anand had been rejected by the public after his earlier expulsion
• Mayawati accused rival figures of acting as opportunistic 'rainy frogs' who weaken Bahujan unity through alliances with Congress, BJP and the Samajwadi Party
• Observers view Anand’s elevation above three national coordinators as part of Mayawati’s strategy to groom him as her potential political heir