From a humble professor to deputy CM of UP, meet Dinesh Sharma

Sharma, a mayor of Lucknow, saw a slow and steady rise to the post of the Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Dinesh Sharma was named as one of the two deputies for the new UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Adityanath's name was finally announced on Saturday after hectic parlays and many rounds of discussions.

Many top leaders such as Rajnath Singh, Manoj Sinha, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Mahesh Sharma were being speculated to grab the top post, but it was firebrand Adityanath who made the cut in the end.

Maurya and Dinesh Sharma have been named as his deputies. Maurya is well known as BJP's Uttar Pradesh president, but how many of us do know about Dinesh Sharma and what he has done.

Sharma, a mayor of Lucknow, saw a slow and steady rise to the post of the deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Sharma taking oath as deputy CM

The 53-year-old professor in Lucknow University's commerce department has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party since long, but he emerged on the central stage of the party's politics with his appointment as its national vice-president in August 2014, after the BJP's landslide victory in the parliamentary elections.

(Pic - Dinesh Sharma Twitter handle)

Sharma being greeted by party workers

It was after Dinesh Sharma was made in-charge of the party affairs in Gujarat, his stature within the party grew immensely. He also won the trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah during his stint in their native state.

(Pic source - PTI)

Sharma with HM Rajnath SIngh

He was first elected as the mayor of Lucknow in 2008. He stood for re-election in 2012 and defeated his nearest rival, Neeraj Bora of the Congress by over 1.71 lakh votes.

(Pic source - PTI)

Dinesh Sharma with Rahul Sinha during launch of the BJP's Mobile membership campaign

Sharma has the backing of the RSS and it is said that Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhaya often visited his parent's home in the state capital. It was on his invitation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the Lucknow Ramlila in October 2016.

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