Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Meet Kishori Lal Sharma, Congress leader who will face Smriti Irani in Amethi

The Congress party declared on Friday that Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi will run for Raebareli and Kishori Lal Sharma for Amethi, putting an end to speculation over the Gandhi family's historic seats in Uttar Pradesh.

KL Sharma is preparing to run for Lok Sabha in 2024 against BJP politician and Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is now the BJP MP in Amethi.

Who is Kishori Lal Sharma?

Kishori Lal Sharma is originally from Ludhiana in Punjab and is thought to be close to the Gandhi family, having served as the Congress party's and Sonia Gandhi's manager in Rae Bareli while she was absent.

Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Rahul Gandhi to contest from Raebareli, Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi

Sharma was close to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and following his death in 1991, his relationship with the Gandhi family grew closer. He moved to Amethi in 1983 and has worked for the Congress party ever since. Interestingly, KL Sharma played an important role in Sonia Gandhi's first election victory in 1999.

Sharma began to administer the party's activities in both Uttar Pradesh constituencies, Amethi and Rae Bareli, when Sonia Gandhi abandoned her seat for son Rahul Gandhi in 2004 and relocated to Raebareli.

Amethi was the Gandhi family's stronghold until 2019, when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lost the general election to BJP leader Smriti Irani. From 2004 until 2019, the Congress scion represented Amethi in the Lower House of parliament.

Both Rahul Gandhi and KL Sharma will file their nominations today, the last day for the same. Elections in Amethi and Raebareli will be held on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase process.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi's opponent would be Dinesh Pratap Singh, who was announced as the BJP's pick from Raebareli on Thursday. Dinesh Singh lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.