LUCKNOW: Considered a close aide of PM Narendra Modi, Arvind Kumar Sharma kicked off his political innings after taking voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service and became a member of the UP Legislative Council.
He was sworn in as Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister on Friday. A Gujarat-cadre officer and a native of Uttar Pradesh's Mau district, Sharma earlier served Modi when he was the chief minister of the state.
After Modi's election as PM, he joined him in the PMO. Soon after taking voluntary retirement in January last year, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was also made the vice-president of the UP unit of the party.
Speculations had continued over Sharma being given some important assignment in the state government ever since he came to UP but nothing of that sort happened.
It was during the second wave of Covid that he gained attention for his work in Varanasi, PM Modi's parliamentary constituency.
He is credited with helping Varanasi cut down the number of Covid cases to a large extent. He was also praised by Modi for his work in the district.