Mayawati announces no nepotism policy in BSP, rules out political roles for nephews

Lucknow, Sep 12 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday announced a firm policy against nepotism in the party, saying preference will be given to young, hardworking and talented people from all sections of society in the party organisation as well as in the selection of candidates for upcoming Assembly elections.

In a detailed post on X, Mayawati said holding a position or shouldering responsibilities in the BSP would not automatically entitle other members of the concerned person’s family to political positions or benefits.

She made it clear that members of her brother Anand Kumar’s family would also not be given political responsibilities in the BSP, saying his two sons, as well as their children in the future, would not be allowed to enter electoral politics through party positions.

Mayawati said the BSP had been pursuing a youth-centric policy across the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, with the objective of ensuring around 50 per cent participation of the younger generation in the party organisation.

“While the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has been pursuing a youth-centric policy across the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, to ensure approximately 50 per cent participation of Gen-G in the party organisation, it has been implementing the directive to prioritise hardworking and young talent from across society in the party’s general elections to the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab Legislative Assemblies,” she said.

She said the objective was to enable the new generation to take forward Ambedkarite politics and constitutional values in the country and work towards implementing the humanitarian, egalitarian and secular objectives of the Constitution.

Mayawati also highlighted the achievements of the four-time BSP government in Uttar Pradesh, claiming that her administrations had focused on the rule of law, public welfare, and development.

She said her governments had worked to address basic needs such as roads, electricity, water, education and healthcare, besides creating opportunities through government jobs and employment.

She also referred to the construction of schools, hospitals, colleges, universities, hostels, training centres and parks as part of the development initiatives undertaken during BSP rule.

According to Mayawati, these measures had also helped significantly reduce forced migration from the state.

She alleged that the BSP government could not return to power for a fifth term in 2012 because of what she described as the "deeply casteist attitudes" of Opposition parties. She said people across sections of society continued to regret the BSP’s defeat and alleged that the rule of law had not been established adequately across the state since the party left office.

Turning to the issue of candidate selection, Mayawati directed BSP workers to choose “good people” from all sections of society while selecting candidates and give priority to young people, including both men and women.

She said the party’s primary objective was to strengthen and advance the mission of social change and economic emancipation associated with its founder Kanshi Ram and Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

Mayawati said she had always kept her immediate family members and close relatives away from electoral and ministerial positions, restricting them largely to party-related responsibilities.

She said that, like Kanshi Ram, she did not believe that family members should automatically benefit politically from the position held by a party leader.

Explaining her decision regarding her younger brother Anand Kumar, Mayawati said that because she was unmarried, she had been compelled to keep one of her siblings with her.

She said Anand Kumar had been living with her, taking care of her and shouldering important responsibilities in the party under her supervision for a long period.

However, she said allowing his family members to benefit politically from those responsibilities would not be in the interest of the BSP or its movement.

“Therefore, today it is my final decision and pledge that none of his sons will be given the opportunity to enter politics by holding any position, big or small, in the BSP,” Mayawati said.

She said that if Anand Kumar required assistance in carrying out his responsibilities while she was still active, he could seek the help of his only daughter, Deepika Anand, who is currently studying law.

Mayawati said Deepika could be entrusted with responsibilities within the party depending on her honesty, loyalty and ability to work.

However, she categorically ruled out handing over such responsibilities to Anand Kumar’s two sons or, in the future, to their children.

She added that if Deepika was unwilling to take up such responsibilities, Anand Kumar could, with the consent of the party, seek assistance from another dedicated worker from the Dalit community within the BSP.

Mayawati said this decision was necessary to protect the party from nepotism and strengthen its organisational structure.

She reiterated that the same principle would apply to the BSP organisation and any future government formed by the party. According to her, if a particular person was given an opportunity, other members of that person’s family would not automatically receive political positions or benefits.

"This is so that the BSP remains free from nepotism from now on and more and more people from all sections of society can become participants in the movement for social change and economic liberation,” she said.

Mayawati also accused "anti-BSP" political parties, organisations and sections of the media and social media of running what she described as "poisonous and conspiratorial" propaganda against it.

She urged party workers to remain cautious about what she called “sponsored and paid propaganda” aimed at preventing the BSP from forming the government in Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati also rejected reports circulating on social media that people expelled from the BSP for indiscipline or anti-party activities could be taken back.

She termed such reports “completely wrong and false propaganda” and described them as fake news, making it clear that those expelled from the BSP for indiscipline or involvement in anti-party activities would not be readmitted.

--IANS

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