LS Polls: I’m Not Gandhi Family’s Servant, Says Congress’ Amethi Candidate KL Sharma

New Delhi: Kishori Lal Sharma, Congress’ surprise choice for Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, said on Sunday that he was a seasoned politician, and not a servant of the Gandhi family.

Kishori Lal was reacting to a taunt by BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh, who said that Rahul Gandhi had sent his peon to contest the election against Smriti Irani.

“It was a decision taken by the party high command. Nobody had been finalised as a candidate for this seat earlier. However, I can say with full confidence and conviction that I will defeat Smriti Irani. This is a big statement I am making today. ‘Mai koi naukri nahi kar raha Gandhi Parivar ki’ (I am not a servant of Gandhi family here). I am a seasoned politician and have been so for many years now. I came here in 1983 through my association with the Youth Congress. I am not on the payroll of the Congress. I am a pure politician,” Kishori Lal told ANI.

Congress ended weeks of suspense on its candidates for traditional party strongholds Amethi and Raebareli only on the last day of nomination. Rahul, who lost to Smriti Irani in 2019 after winning the seat three times consecutively, skipped Amethi this time and shifted to Raebareli which was left vacant by four-time winner Sonia Gandhi as she decided not to contest elections any more.

Congress workers had been strongly demanding Rahul, or at least his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Amethi. But their wish was left unfulfilled.

BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Union minister Irani, had been challenging Rahul to contest from Amethi.

The ridicule continued after candidates were finalised.

“Does Rahul Gandhi really want to win Amethi and Raebareli? If he did, why would he give a Lok Sabha ticket to his peon from Amethi? The Congress will lose both Raebareli and Amethi seats,” quipped Dinesh Pratap, Rahul’s opponent in Raebareli.