BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma has been appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, succeeding Admiral D K Joshi (retd), who has held the post since 2017. President Droupadi Murmu approved the appointment, which will take effect from the date Sharma assumes charge, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué issued Saturday.
Sharma, 62, is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh and is on the panel of vice-chairpersons of the Upper House. His term in the Rajya Sabha was scheduled to end on November 25 this year. Following his appointment, Sharma thanked the President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP’s central leadership. He said the new assignment was not merely a position but a responsibility towards the Constitution, the country and public service, and pledged to discharge his duties with “complete devotion, honesty and dedication”.
Long stint in UP politics
Sharma served as one of the two Deputy Chief Ministers in the first Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh from 2017 to 2022. During his tenure, he handled key portfolios, including higher and secondary education, science and technology, and electronics and information technology.
Before moving into state-level politics, Sharma served two terms as the Mayor of Lucknow. An academic-turned-politician, he taught commerce at Lucknow University before taking on a larger role in the BJP.
In 2023, the BJP fielded Sharma in a Rajya Sabha bypoll from Uttar Pradesh following the death of sitting MP Hardwar Dubey. He was elected unopposed to the Upper House.
Succeeds D K Joshi
Sharma will replace Admiral D K Joshi, a former Chief of the Naval Staff, who took over as Lieutenant Governor of the strategically important Union Territory on October 8, 2017.
Joshi’s tenure coincided with an increased focus on the strategic and economic significance of the archipelago, including major infrastructure and connectivity projects and plans for the development of Great Nicobar Island.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands occupy a crucial position in the Bay of Bengal and have assumed growing strategic importance in India’s Indo-Pacific and maritime security calculations.
Sharma’s appointment also comes amid speculation over a wider reshuffle of Governors and Lieutenant Governors. His move to the constitutional post will create a vacancy in the Rajya Sabha once he relinquishes his membership.