Lucknow, Former Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddharth on Thursday announced his retirement from politics and social life, a day after BSP chief Mayawati linked his retirement to any future reinstatement of responsibilities to her nephew and his son-in-law Akash Anand.
“You made a small worker like me a member of your family.
In an emotional post on X, Siddharth said he was retiring from political and social life “right now”, adding that if he ever had to give his life for Mayawati, it would be a matter of pride for him. “Mayawati’s order is greater than anything else in the world for me,” Siddharth said, adding that he had been dedicated to the BSP’s mission for the past 35 years and had tried to discharge every responsibility assigned to him to the best of his ability. Siddharth said all relationships were insignificant before Mayawati’s order. This is a debt I cannot repay in this lifetime,” he said. Referring to Mayawati’s allegation that he had tried to influence Anand, Siddharth said he had not even met his son-in-law for several months, let alone advised him.
Earlier reporting noted: Ashok Siddharth takes ‘sanyas’ from politics after Mayawati says his retirement can save Akash Anand’s future Ashok Siddharth, an expelled BSP leader, has announced his retirement from politics. She said Anand had also suffered as a result. Earlier reporting noted: Siddharth, who was expelled from the BSP for the second time on August 2 over alleged anti-party activities, said he had decided to withdraw from politics.
In a post on X, Mayawati had said the party had given Siddharth several opportunities to mend his ways, but he repeatedly gave greater importance to his personal and family interests and ambitions than to the BSP’s mission. Mayawati had said Siddharth still had an opportunity, keeping his family and his son-in-law’s future in mind, to give up his political ambitions and personal interests and retire completely from politics. Only then, she said, would the party consider sympathetically restoring Anand’s responsibilities. Earlier reporting noted: LUCKNOW: Expelled BSP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth on Thrusday announced that he was taking “sanyas” from politics, a day after BSP chief Mayawati said his retirement was necessary if her nephew and Siddharth’s son-in-law, Akash Anand, was to get another chance to rise in the party.
