Former IAS officer and a long-time aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AK Sharma, joined the BJP in Lucknow on Thursday in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma and state party chief Swantantra Dev Singh.
Sharma, who is considered close to Prime Minister Modi, took voluntary retirement from service recently ahead of his scheduled superannuation in July 2022.
Who is AK Sharma?
The 1988 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre had worked in the Gujarat Government and as Secretary to Modi as the Secretary in October 2001 during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also served as additional secretary in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) when Modi moved to Centre in 2014.
He is a native of Mau district in UP.
He served in his PMO for six years before moving to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) as Secretary in April last year.
He took voluntary retirement from service recently ahead of his scheduled superannuation in July 2022. Sources said that BJP is likely to nominate the former IAS officer as its candidate for Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. Elections are being held on 12 seats and the last date for filing of nominations is January 18.
Sharma said that he was happy to join the party and would work for the welfare of the people.
"I come from a backward village of Mau district in Uttar Pradesh. I was working on the post of a secretary and don't have any political background. To bring a person like me into the party, only PM Narendra Modi and BJP can do it," Sharma told reporters.
(With agencies)
