Lucknow, May 20 -- : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has again reposed faith in her nephew Akash Anand by appointing him as the party's chief national coordinator, just weeks after taking him back into the party fold in April following his ouster from the organisation in March. Mayawati announced Akash's appointment to the top organisational post at the BSP's all-India meeting held at the party central's office in Delhi on Sunday. Akash Anand's appointment as the chief national coordinator indicates Mayawati may be preparing for a long-term leadership transition in the party, those in the know of things said, adding that Akash is likely to be made the BSP chief's political heir again after having lost the privileged position months ago. The BSP president has tasked Akash with a key responsibility in expansion of the organisation across the country. "Akash will work diligently and with caution to strengthen both the party and its movement," Mayawati said at the meeting. On March 3, Mayawati had removed Akash Anand from the key party post of national coordinator, the second time this assignment was taken away from him. Now, the designation of chief national coordinator represents an elevation from him. He was expelled him from the party on March 4. To run party affairs, Mayawati had elevated three senior leaders -- Ramji Gautam, Randhir Singh Beniwal and Raja Ram -- to the post of national coordinator back then. On January 15, Akash's younger brother Ishan Anand was introduced to party leaders at a programme organised to celebrate Mayawati's 69th birthday. The move sparked speculation that Ishan was likely to be given an important responsibility in the party. On April 13, Mayawati reinstated Akash Anand following a public apology by him but did not give him any post in the organisation immediately. At the time, she told the party leaders and workers to support and encourage him in managing party work, indicating that Akash would reinstated to a top post in the BSP. During the Lok Sabha election campaign in May 2024, Mayawati removed Akash from the post of party's national coordinator for the first time. He also lost his position as her political successor. She took the step after an FIR was lodged against Akash Anand in a hate speech case in Sitapur. After eight months in August 2024, Mayawati reinstated Akash to key posts and entrusted him to lead the party campaign in the assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. Why was Akash Anand stripped of an organisational post twice, expelled from the party once, reinstated and then appointed to a key post? "It's the bond of blood. From the family, Akash Anand was seen as generation next whom Mayawati has been grooming to take over the reins of the party for a smooth transition from the old guard to the new generation in the BSP," according to people privy to the matter. Even as the BSP has been losing successive assembly and Lok Sabha elections and its support base shrinking, Mayawati has maintained an iron grip over the party. Despite the party workers' demand to promote young blood, she has made it clear that she will continue to hold the reins. When Akash Anand's father-in -law Ashok Siddharth started calling the shots in the party, including in selection of candidates, raising campaign funds and drawing strategy, Mayawati expelled him and took action against Akash for hobnobbing with his father-in-law. After Akash's expulsion, there was no prominent youth face in the party. The party needed a young leader to woo the young Dalit voters who were moving toward Bhim Army founder Chandra Shekhar Azad. Three national coordinators- Ramji Gautam, Randhir Singh Beniwal and Raja Ram -- were considered old warhorses. Pressure mounted on Mayawati to reinstate Akash, who she had been grooming as her political successor since 2017. Akash Anand, 30, is the son of Mayawati's brother Anand Kumar. She appointed Akash Anand as the national coordinator in June 2019. In December 2023, she named Akash as her political heir. To make the reinstatement of Akash Anand impressive and send a message across the party organization, Mayawati called the all- India meeting in Delhi. Party leaders and office bearers of all states were invited to the meeting. With the consent of senior leaders, she announced the appointment of Akash Anand as chief national coordinator of the BSP. Mayawati also said the BSP will contest the Bihar assembly election, due at the year-end, on its own strength. She also called for the revival of Bahujan Volunteer Force (BVF) that had become defunct after BSP lost power in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly election. The volunteers of BVF will manage the party programmes and ensure discipline among the BSP cadre, she said....