BJP names former IAS officer AK Sharma its MLC candidate in UP

Former IAS officer Arvind Kumar Sharma, thought of near Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was on Friday named BJP’s candidate for the upcoming legislative council polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Sharma had joined the BJP on Thursday, days after he opted for voluntary retirement from the IAS.
There is a robust chance that Sharma after his election as a legislator can be given a key place within the state authorities led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sources have stated.
A Gujarat cadre officer hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Sharma had lengthy been one of many trusted bureaucrats of Modi since his tenure as Gujarat chief minister.
He additionally served in key positions within the PMO after Modi turned prime minister in 2014.
Besides Sharma, the BJP additionally named Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, its state president Swatantra Dev Sing and Lakshman Prasad Acharya as its candidates for the polls.
Polling for 12 legislative council seats in Uttar Pradesh can be held on January 28.
In the 100-member UP Legislative Council, the SP has 55 MLCs, BJP has 25 MLCs, BSP has eight MLCs, Congress and ‘Nirdaliye Samooh’ have two MLCs every and Apna Dal (S) and ‘Shikshak Dal’ have one MLC every. There are three impartial MLCs and three seats are vacant.