K.L. Sharma, a Gandhi Loyalist, who steps out of the shadows

K.L. Sharma will contest the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. | Photo Credit: x/@Supriya23bh

For nearly three decades, Kishori Lal Sharma’s name has been synonymous with Congress in Rae Bareli. For the first time, he is stepping out of the shadows, to contest from Amethi, a seat that he has been associated with since 1983, working with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi here.  

Mr. Sharma who hails from Punjab’s Ludhiana, began his stint with Rajiv Gandhi, managing the Amethi Lok Sabha seat for him. The former PM won this seat four times in 1981, 1984, 1989 and posthumously in 1991. 

He is said to have played a crucial role in former Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s victory from Amethi in 1999. In 2004, when she shifted to Rae Bareli leaving the seat for her son, Mr. Sharma began managing both constituencies.