President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Dr. Dinesh Sharma as the new Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan late on Saturday night said the President was pleased to appoint Dr. Sharma to the post, and the appointment will take effect from the date he assumes charge. The 62 year old former Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh currently also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and his Rajya Sabha term was due to end on 25 November.
From professor to mayor
Before entering politics, Dinesh Sharma taught as a professor in the Commerce department at Lucknow University. He went on to serve as Mayor of Lucknow for two consecutive terms, from 2006 to March 2018, and during the same period he also chaired the UP Mayor Council from 2007 to March 2018. Within the BJP organisation, he has held several senior posts, including that of the party's national vice president. He was also given charge of Gujarat as a party in-charge, and served as an observer for selecting the Chief Minister in Haryana and the state president in Rajasthan. He has additionally held the post of state president of the BJP's youth wing, BJYM.
From deputy chief minister to Rajya Sabha MP
As Deputy Chief Minister between 2017 and 2022, Dinesh Sharma held charge of the Secondary and Higher Education department along with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Electronics and Information Technology. He did not contest the 2022 assembly election. The BJP subsequently fielded him for the Rajya Sabha, and he has been serving as a Rajya Sabha MP ever since. He will now take on the new responsibility of Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Why the Lieutenant Governor's post matters in Andaman and Nicobar
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a strategically important union territory in the Bay of Bengal, is administered by a Lieutenant Governor who serves as both the constitutional and administrative head. The post carries significant responsibility for governance, development work and coordination with the central government, particularly in sensitive areas such as security, tourism, infrastructure and environmental protection. Admiral (Retd) Devendra Kumar Joshi has held the post since October 2017. Dinesh Sharma's appointment marks a change in the island territory's leadership, and he is expected to take charge soon.
