Who Is Kishori Lal Sharma? The Giant Killer Who Defeated Smriti Irani In Amethi Lok Sabha Seat

Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma on Tuesday emerged as the giant-killer in the Lok Sabha who defeated Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi.

Sharma, who won the seat by over 1 lakh votes margin, says, “This is the victory of the Gandhi family and the people of Amethi.”

Irani lost the Amethi elections in 2014 but defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019. It is worth noting that Sharma’s name was announced after a hectic parleys among senior Congress leaders.

The INDIA bloc gave a tough fight to the BJP-NDA in Uttar Pradesh where both alliances are leading in around 40 seats each. The NDA crossed the half-way mark but the BJP is still struggling to get majority on its won. However, the INDIA bloc made big gains in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and the South, taking its tally to around 230 seats.

Rahul Gandhi has won both Raebareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats.

Who Is Kishori Lal Sharma?

Kishori Lal Sharma is originally from Punjab’s Ludhiana and is believed to be close to the Gandhi family as has been the manager for the Congress party and Sonia Gandhi in her absence at Rae Bareli.

Sharma was closely associated with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and after his death in 1991, his bond with the Gandhi family became stronger. He first came to Amethi in 1983 and since then he has been working in the constituency for the Congress party. Interestingly, KL Sharma played a key role in Sonia Gandhi’s first electoral win in 1999.

After Sonia Gandhi vacated her seat for son Rahul Gandhi in 2004 and moved to Raebareli, Sharma started to manage the party’s affairs in both the constituencies in Uttar Pradesh — Amethi and Rae Bareli.

Amethi had been the Gandhi family’s stronghold until 2019, when Congress stalwart Rahul Gandhi lost the general elections to BJP leader Smriti Irani. The Congress scion represented Amethi in the Lower House of Parliament from 2004 till 2019.