Former Gujarat cadre IAS officer and a native of eastern UP, Arvind Kumar Sharma joined the BJP in presence of senior party leaders in Lucknow on Thursday.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Dinesh Sharma and state BJP chief Swatantra Deo Singh were present during a function organised at the state BJP headquarters in Lucknow.
“ I am very happy to join the BJP which is doing commendable work to uplift the economic and social status of the people of the country. My prime motto will be to serve the people,” Sharma said soon after the function.
The new entrant is likely to be fielded as a candidate for the imminent Legislative Council elections and could even be accommodated in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet.
The officer, a native of Mau (eastern UP) had opted for voluntary retirement from the IAS on Monday. Known for his proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sharma served as Secretary, Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME). Prior to that, he served as Secretary in the PMO for five years. Besides, he served in the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office while Modi was the incumbent.
Sharma joined a long list of bureaucrats joining politics. Only recently former DGP of UP, Brij Lal was elected to Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket.