Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, June 19
A home portfolio was expected for the retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Arvind Kumar Sharma in Uttar Pradesh. But the bureaucrat-turned-politician had to please with a party post.
Sharma, a former joint secretary in the Prime Minister Office (PMO), who had taken VRS to join BJP on January 14, was today appointed Vice President of Uttar Pradesh unit of the ruling BJP, according to Swatantra Dev Singh, BJP president in UP. The responsibility at the organisation had ruined the possibility of his being inducted in the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet ahead of next year state polls.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Aaditya Nath reportedly overruled the BJP High command and did not induct the trusted bureaucrat- turned-politician Arvind Kumar Sharma in his cabinet. A native of Mau in UP, the upper caste Bhumihar officer was made a member of UP Vidhan Parishad soon after he quit the allied All India service and was expecting to be included in Yogi cabinet as his deputy with home portfolio.
For several weeks, when Yogi was neck deep fighting Corona, he was under pressure to induct Sharma in his cabinet. But Yogi reportedly refused and during his last week visit to New Delhi, he had apparently convinced Sharma’s Boss and Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides Home Minister Amit Shah for inducting Sharma in the cabinet.
Yogi is understood to have persuaded the High command since the state already had two Deputy Chiefs, leaving no room for Sharma. inclusion was not possible. Yogi had complained, Sharma frequently gave instructions to UP officers when he was in the PMO despite the fact that the Prime minister had been representing Banaras constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Sharma was in Narendra Modi office at Ahmedabad since 2002 and when Modi moved to New Delhi, he too joined the PMO.
