Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has reinstated former Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth into the party with immediate effect, months after his expulsion for alleged anti-party activities. The BSP leader cited Siddharth’s public apology and commitment to the party as reasons for giving him another chance.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Mayawati explained that Siddharth had expressed sincere regret for his previous actions and pledged complete loyalty to the BSP and its mission of promoting self-respect and dignity inspired by Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. She added that his reinstatement is aimed at strengthening the party and advancing the Ambedkarite movement.

“Although he had realized his mistake earlier and expressed remorse privately, today he has publicly acknowledged it. Keeping this in mind, in the interest of the party and the movement, it has been deemed appropriate to revoke his expulsion with immediate effect,” Mayawati wrote. She urged Siddharth to contribute wholeheartedly, like all other party members, to further the cause of uplifting the Bahujan Samaj from the oppressed class to the ruling class in the state and the country.

Earlier, on March 2, Mayawati had expelled Siddharth, who is also the father-in-law of her nephew Akash Anand, citing factionalism and attempts to weaken the party. Siddharth’s actions, she said, had divided the party into rival factions, which was deemed intolerable.

In August, Mayawati had appointed her nephew Akash Anand as the party’s national convenor, four months after reinducting him into the BSP. Akash Anand expressed gratitude to Mayawati for the appointment and vowed to carry forward the Ambedkarite movement.