BSP chief Mayawati has officially announced her nephew, Akash Anand, as her successor. She has assigned him the task of strengthening the party in states other than Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while she will continue to oversee affairs in these two crucial northern states. The announcement was made during a closed-door all-India meeting of senior party members at the BSP headquarters in Lucknow. Though Mayawati did not make a public announcement, party leaders confirmed the decision.