Former IAS officer Arvind Kumar Sharma, considered close to 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.

It is highly expected that Sharma after his election as a legislator will be given a key position in the state government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as per source info. A Gujarat cadre officer hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Sharma had long been one of the trusted bureaucrats of Modi since his tenure as Gujarat chief minister. He also served in key positions in the PMO after Modi became prime minister in 2014.

Besides Sharma, the BJP also 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 will be held on January 28.

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