PM Modi's close aide of over two decades joins BJP to play critical role in UP

Arvind Sharma, who was Secretary in the centre's Ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), took voluntary retirement, which surprised many. He may join UP Legislative Council and assume an important position in Yogi Adityanath government, said an NDTV report.

Sharma hails from Uttar Pradeh's Mau and is an 1988 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre. His association with the Prime Minister goes back to the days when the latter began his stint as the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001

He remained part of the chief minister's office as well as prime minister's office as he earned Modi's trust over the last two decades with a result driven approach.

Sharma, who has always maintained a low profile, joined PM Modi as his secretary when he became the CM of Gujarat and later became the chief executive of the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board. He joined the prime minister's office in 2014, when the BJP-led NDA government came to power with a landslide victory.

In May 2019, when the country faced unprecedented economic challenges due to coronavirus induced lowdown, Sharma was moved to the critical MSME ministry  to help the government provide relief to the sector and tide over the difficult situation.