Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 13 : BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said that her nephew Akash Anand continues to function under the "influence" of his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, days after Anand was "fully relieved" from the party. 
Adressing a presser in Lucknow, Mayawati claimed that people expelled from the party had been spreading confusion among party members over the past one to two days, claiming that she was seriously ill, citing an alleged phone call from Ashok Anand to a party-incharge. 
"It seems that people who have been expelled from the party have been spreading confusion among party members for the past 1-2 days that Behen Ji (Mayawati) is quite ill. Therefore, instead of coming before the media, she is sending even major statements directly via tweets. Clear proof of this is that Akash Anand made a direct telephone call to Alok Kumar, the party in-charge at my residence. He asked him—he asked him whether Behen Ji is ill? How is her health? To this, Alok Kumar replied, 'No, no, she is absolutely fine and busy with her work.' But then [Akash Anand] also said, 'Do not tell Behen Ji that I asked about this,' and hung up the phone."
Calling this a matter of serious concern, Mayawati said that regardless of whether Anand's intentions were right or wrong, he did not appear to be acting on his own judgment and instead seemed to be working under the influence of Ashok Siddharth.
"This is also a matter of great concern and seriousness; meaning, in this matter, his mindset might be right or wrong, because even now he is not working with his own mind, but rather seems to be working under the influence of Shri Ashok Siddharth's mind," she said. 
Her assertion came days after Mayawati announced that Anand had been "fully relieved" from the party, following his earlier removal as national coordinator on September 3. She had said Anand appeared more focused on "personal and family interests" than on the Bahujan movement.
Before her announcement, Siddharth declared his complete retirement from politics and social life, a move Mayawati said was correct but had come too late after her ultimatum, which linked his 'sanyas' to Anand's political future in the party. She had said his delay proved that his ambitions "remain fully intact," and criticised Anand for failing to repost her earlier statement on X despite having been quick to do so in the past to show his loyalty.
Siddharth, Anand's father-in-law, was expelled from the BSP in March 2025 over allegations of "factionalism" before being reinstated in September 2025 and then being ousted again in 2026. Anand himself was expelled earlier, then reinstated before being "freed" from the party in September.