Congress Bestows Amethi Ticket Upon Gandhi Family’s Trusted Aide of 40 Years

The candidate selected by the Gandhi family to carry the baton forward on their soil Amethi has been a soft-spoken close aide to Rajiv Gandhi during his time in office, earning his stripes for election administration and coordination.

Also READ: BJP drops Brij Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj, gives ticket to his son

After decades of handling the family’s elections in Amethi and Rae Bareli, as well as serving as a mediator between the family and its constituents, 63-year-old Kishorilal Sharma will be running for the first time.

Also READ: Comedian competing for the Varanasi seat against the PM Modi

Ludhiana Native Chosen for Development Oversight in Amethi

According to party insiders, Sharma, who is originally from Ludhiana in Punjab, was chosen as part of a programme initiated by Rajiv, who first ran for office in Amethi in 1981, to choose a young brigade from outside the region to supervise development projects in his seat.

Also READ: अदाणी ग्रुप: चौथी तिमाही में वृद्धि के साथ शानदार नतीजे

From Rajiv Gandhi’s Aide to Managing Amethi’s Political Transition

Sharma gradually joined Rajiv’s team as he recontested Amethi in 1989 and 1991. He continued to play the same role after Rajiv’s killing, when Captain Sharma ran for Amethi. Sharma’s position grew after Sonia Gandhi ran into office in 1999. When Sonia went to Rae Bareli in 2004 and Rahul Gandhi entered politics from Amethi, Sharma took on responsibility for both constituencies.

Also READ: Biden’s Immigration Remarks Stir Controversy

According to insiders, in 2014, Rahul expressed a wish to create his own team in Amethi. Following this, Sharma focused primarily on Rae Bareli.

Also READ: Rape allegations against karnataka MP prajwal revanna amidst sex tapes scandal

A top Amethi leader intimated that Rahul’s loss to BJP leader Smriti Irani in 2019 may be linked to the shift. The leader praised Sharma as “a very soft-spoken and humble person” and said: “The truth is that the Congress’s victory margins in Amethi were high till Sharma was managing the polls, and plummeted dramatically by 2 lakh when he left, albeit there were other considerations as well. In addition, the party has retained Rae Bareli (which Sharma continues to manage).

Also READ: भारत के SMART मिसाइल का दम… आसमान से, पानी से कहीं से भी हो सकेगा हमला