Udit Raj invites Akash Anand to join Cong, says BSP being controlled by BJP
New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI): Slamming BSP supremo Mayawati after she expelled her nephew Akash Anand from the party, Congress leader Udit Raj on Thursday claimed that the move showed the BSP is being controlled by the BJP, and invited Anand to join the Congress.
Mayawati would not have taken such a "suicidal step" without being under pressure, he said.
Mayawati on Sunday removed her nephew Akash Anand from all party posts, appointing his father Anand Kumar and Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Gautam as national coordinators in his place, and said she would not name a successor in her lifetime. Kumar, however, turned down the offer.
A day after Akash Anand's removal, Mayawati on Monday said she expelled him "in the interest of the party and the movement".
Mayawati said that Akash's response to her action against him on Sunday was "selfish and arrogant".
Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Udit Raj said the rise of the BSP has been different from other parties as it started with a social movement and later became a political party but has now been "BJP-ised".
The national chairman of Dalit, OBC, Minorities and Adivasi (DOMA) Confederation said that making Akash Anand coordinator twice and then removing him shows that the BSP is being "controlled by the BJP".
"Mayawati ji would not have taken such a suicidal step without pressure...Akash Anand had stated that there should be an alliance with the Congress-SP in the upcoming assembly elections, otherwise we will remain zero, this has troubled the BJP internally," he claimed.
The BJP's vote bank is not going to increase from anywhere else as even raising the issue of Pasmanda Muslims did not help, he said.
"The BSP remains the only party whose vote can be dented by the BJP and this would have been difficult if Akash Anand was there," Raj claimed.
Asked if he had spoken with Anand, Raj told PTI, "I invite Anand and along with him all those who are inspired by Kanshi Ram's movement to join the Congress to strengthen the 'Samvidhan Bachao Andolan'.
Is it not true that during the 2022 UP elections, Mayawati said that Samajwadi Party should not win, even if BJP wins? he asked at the press conference, alleging that she directly indicated the BJP should be made to win.
"Is it not true that during the Lok Sabha elections, when Akash Anand gave an aggressive speech against the BJP, he was removed from the post of coordinator within 24 hours? Is it not true that if the BSP had been a part of INDIA bloc during the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP would not have been able to form the government at the Centre?" Raj said.
"Apart from Satish Mishra ji, there is no leader in the last 20 years who is authorised to speak to the press, why is that so? Is Mishra ji the only Ambedkarite left?" the Congress leader said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
