UP Election 2022: 'Sharmaji CM' -- Who is AK Sharma whose name keeps coming up as Yogi's replacement?

Home Minister Amit Shah has declared that UP polls will be fought under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says Yogi is 'Up-yogi' for the state.

Then why is one BJP leader taking oath to make AK Sharma UP CM?

The man projecting UP BJP vice-president AK Sharma is not some low-rank party leader. He is former BJP MP Harinayaran Rajbhar.

He was the MP from Ghosi in Eastern UP in 2014 and has been with the BJP since 1991. He has been a minister in several BJP governments. Above all, he is considered close to PM Modi. So, is Rajbhar's assertion just an emotional and lose comment or is it part of a larger gameplan?

Who is AK Sharma, whose name keeps coming up as future UP CM?

Sharma is a former IAS office from the Gujarat cadre. He took voluntary retirement last year to join the BJP. As an IAS officer, he worked closely with PM Modi - both in CM's office in Gujarat and later in the PMO. Sharma has an association with PM Modi that goes back 20 years. There were speculations last year that he will be made the UP Deputy CM but was later appointed the party's state vice president.

What is interesting is when Rajbhar spoke of making him the CM from a BJP platform, Sharma acknowledged his assertion with folded hands.

He has since not spoken on it. A pregnant political silence, shall we say? Watch this space.