28-year-old Akash Anand is the National Coordinator of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Nephew of BSP supremo Mayawati, Akash joined the party in 2016 and rose through the ranks, to become the the second most important leader in the party. In December 2023, Mayawati also known as 'Behenji' named him as her political successor at a party meeting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In this episode of the ANI podcast with Smita Prakash, Anand speaks about the current state of politics in Uttar Pradesh. He also speaks up about why his party had to split ways with their earlier rival the Samajwadi Party, and why his party wouldn't allign with Dalit leader and Bhim Army Chief Chandrasekhar Azad. 

The young Dalit politician with a foreign MBA, also opens up for the first time about being discriminated against for his caste by a senior in school, despite being the CM's nephew.