Lucknow
To set the house in order, ruling BJP has begun the exercise of accommodating leaders of warring factions and old workers on key positions. On Saturday, Arvind Sharma (pic, centre), close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former bureaucrat who took VRS to join active politics, was appointed vice-president of state BJP.
The state BJP President Swatantra Deo Singh also appointed the heads of the frontal organisations of the party. Sharma, however, was the claimant for a cabinet berth in the Yogi Adityanath government.
Arvind Sharma took VRS in January this year as secretary in Union government and a week later, he became member of legislative council in U.P. Ever since then rumours were rife about his becoming minister in Yogi Cabinet but it could not be materialised as the chief minister developed cold feet on the proposal. Now, with Sharma being adjusted in the organisation it seems his name may not figure in the list of those who could be sworn in the reshuffle in coming days.
On Saturday, the state BJP president appointed the heads of youth, women, farmer, scheduled caste and minority fronts of the party. MP Kaushal Kishore would be heading SC front of UP BJP while Rajya Sabha member Geeta Shakya will lead the women wing and Kunwar Basit Ali will be the state president of BJP minority cell.
Earlier this week, the Yogi Adityanath government had appointed former minister Rambabu Harit as chairman of SC-ST commission and senior leader Jaswant Saini as head of backward class commission.
