Lucknow: The 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections are likely to see BSP national president Mayawati project not just her nephews Akash Anand and Ishan Anand, but also her “sworn nephew” Prince Yukesh Singh, son of late BSP MLA Umashankar Singh, as a prominent young face of the party.The emerging plan became visible through party posters installed on VIP Road for the 20th death anniversary observance of BSP founder Kanshi Ram on Thursday. The posters named Yukesh among the organisers and carried his photographs alongside Kanshi Ram and Mayawati.Mayawati had long shared a close bond with Umashankar Singh, treating him as a younger brother and tying rakhi to him on Rakshabandhan. After his death, she publicly extended the relationship to his son, referring to Yukesh as her nephew and offering political blessings.Umashankar Singh, 56, died on Aug 5 after a prolonged illness. He was the BSP’s lone MLA in Uttar Pradesh and represented the Rasra assembly constituency in Ballia.Mayawati later visited the bereaved family at their Lucknow residence and spoke of them as her own, while also indicating plans to promote Yukesh in politics. Though Yukesh had been managing his father’s work during the illness, he had not been an official BSP member earlier.His appearance at the BSP’s UP unit meeting on Aug 31 as a member, seated in the front row reserved for office-bearers, was seen as a clear signal of his standing and proximity to Mayawati. Party sources believe he could be named the BSP candidate from Rasra.
