Lucknow: Relaunching his campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections after being reinstated in the BSP, the party’s national convener Akash Anand on Wednesday described his recent expulsion as a “test” by BSP chief Mayawati and pledged his unwavering commitment to the Bahujan movement.“You all had seen that in the last few days, Behenji (Mayawati) had asked me to sit at home. When I asked her why did she put me to such tests every time, she countered that if Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Manyavar Kanshiram Ji or she herself weren’t put to tests all the time for the sake of the (Bahujan) Samaj,” he said.“She said she couldn’t have handed me over this huge responsibility of such a big movement and ‘samaj’ without putting me through tests. Listening to her brought tears into my eyes and I assured her that she can test me as many times as she wants,” Akash said.Akash relaunched his campaign for the 2027 UP assembly elections from Anupshahr assembly constituency in Bulandshahr on Wednesday to seek votes for BSP candidate from Anupshahr, Manoj Pradhan.Earlier, he had started his campaign from Sadabad assembly constituency in Hathras on Aug 10 but was removed from the party by Mayawati on Sept 10.“I assure ‘Behenji’ that I considers only Bahujan Samaj as my family,” he said.Hitting out at BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party, he said, “Ab na hi to PDA ka drama chalega, na hi Congress ka doglapan aur na hi BJP ka vigyapan (Now neither the drama of PDA work, nor double standards of Congress nor BJP’s advertisements).”“In the past 10 years, they (BJP) have advertised extensively about making UP into a developed, educated and safe state. In fact, they have spent Rs 7,000 crore of your tax money to peddle their fake advertisements,” said Akash.He cited NCRB data to attack BJP on poor law and order in UP. “I am telling you this because with elections round the corner, they (BJP) have started their marketing and soon would come up with new manifesto, but you should not fall for it.”Attacking the BJP govt on education, he said that the govt has systematically closed 25,000 govt schools in UP in the last 10 years so that children could not study and ask for jobs.Criticising Congress and Rahul Gandhi, he said when students were protesting against paper leaks and were being manhandled by the govt, Rahul, instead of guiding those students, jumped into the protest himself and was joined by the entire opposition.“Though students got the resignation (of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan), Congress took the credit,” he said.He termed SP’s PDA plank a farce to take away BSP’s Dalit votes.
