Modi's close aide made UP BJP vice president

The Uttar Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday appointed its state MLC A K Sharma, a former IAS officer, the party's state vice president.

The announcement of the new appointment was made by the BJP state unit's president Swatantra Dev Singh.

In an official statement, Singh also announced the appointments of Archana Mishra from Lucknow and Amit Valmiki from Bulandshahr as secretaries of the state unit.

BJP MLC A K Sharma is also considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Known for delivering time-bound results, Sharma earned Modi's confidence as his secretary during his tenure as the Gujarat chief minister by successfully handling the Vibrant Gujarat campaign to get investments to the state.

He was also handling the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) ministry's affairs, a crucial department working under the prime minister's plan for the revival of the economy following the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Sharma did his schooling from the Mau district in eastern Uttar Pradesh and post-graduation from Allahabad University.

The BJP on Saturday also announced the appointment of Pranshudatt Dwivedi from Farrukhabad as the chief of BJP Yuva Morcha, Geeta Shakya of Auraiya as party's Mahila Morcha chief, Kameshwar Singh of Gorakhpur as Kisan Morcha chief.

Other leaders who were appointed chiefs of various other cells of the party include Ghaziaba's Narendra Kashyap (Backward Class Morcha), Lucknow's Kaushal Kishor (Morcha chief) Gorakhpur's Sanjay Gond (ST Morcha) and Kunwar Basit Ali (Minority Morcha).