Mayawati appoints brother Anand Kumar as vice-president of BSP

LUCKNOW: Once known as a leader who kept clear of nepotism, Mayawati has finally fallen to the dynasty bug. Speaking on the 126th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) boss lady appointed her younger brother Anand Kumar as the party's vice-president, and effectively, heir apparent.

She added, however, that Kumar would only hold party responsibilities in her absence and never be an MP, MLA or chief minister.

Anand Kumar has in recent weeks been under the scanner of the Income-Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate after a sum of Rs 104 crore, said to be BSP money, was deposited in his bank account post-demonetisation. He is a master of 12 companies and his worth is said to be of the order of Rs 1316 crore - Rs 440 crore in cash and Rs 870 crore in fixed assets.

As per the BSP statute, the



vice-president is the second most powerful person in the party after the president herself. Until Friday's appointment, the post had been lying vacant after Mayawati sacked MP Raja Ram almost two years ago. Anand Kumar will be higher in the pecking order than Rajya Sabha MP S C Mishra and senior leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui, who are general secretaries.

Political observers said Anand Kumar's appointment is a major step taken by Mayawati towards developing up a second line of Dalit leadership in the party, the absence of which has been a criticism often leveled at her.

Mayawati said Anand Kumar will be based in Delhi and look after party affairs in Mayawati's absence. "There are times when party functionaries need my approval for party-related things and I am not present in Delhi. Anand will now take care of that," she said.