A K Sharma is an Indian politician, former IAS officer, and Bureaucrat, who became the State Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh in 2021.Growing up in a remote village, Sharma spent his childhood undertaking chores like, cleaning the house front, feeding the cattle, clearing out the semi-pucca drainage system, and regulating seasonal harvest.Sharma grew up watching his father working towards the development of their village by setting up the first tube well in the village. His father also contributed to establishing a secondary school in the name of Pundit Alagoo Rai Shashtri in the village.He actively participated in various extra curriculum activities during his college days like composing and reciting poetry and ghazals and participating in stage dramas, skits, and short plays.After completing his masters, he was admitted to the UGC fellowship as a Research fellow (D. Phil), meanwhile, he started preparing for UPSC. Simultaneously, he pursued a job as a lecturer in the department of Political science at the University of Allahabad.After working as a traffic inspector in UP Roadways, Sharmas father retired as a senior incharge of Mau roadways bus station and died in 1999. In an interview, Sharma talked about his fathers job and said, My father being in the service of UP Road Transport, I spent a lot of my childhood living at two Bus Stations (Rasra & Mau)So, I owe a lot to that eco-system comprising of the chaiwalas, halwais, drivers, conductors, porters, and staff members who were an integral part of my daily life. This phase of my life lasted from class six to twelfth..Sharma became a civil servant in 1988 after two failed attempts in the UPSC examination. He began his career as an IAS officer with the Gujarat cadre. In 1989, he held the position of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Palitana in Bhavnagar District.A. K. Sharmas association with Narendra Modi began in 2001 when Modi was elected as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Sharma was one of the officers posted to the CMs office. After serving as secretary to the CM, Sharma was elevated to the position of additional principal secretary to the chief minister.Other prominent positions at which he served the Government of Gujarat include Deputy Secretary Finance Department, incharge of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, and MD of iNDEXTb.He was also the in-charge of Investment Promotion & Investor Facilitation from 2001 to 2006 in Gujarat.