Amethi's non-Gandhi Cong nominee has a Ludhiana link

LUDHIANA: Ludhianvis are going to Amethi to support local resident Kishori Lal Sharma, first non-Gandhi Congress candidate for that parliamentary seat in 25 years. His wife and a former councillor have landed there, while his younger daughter will join him on Monday.
The resident of Ludhiana's Shivaji Nagar has worked for the Gandhi family in Amethi constituency for 20 years since Rajiv Gandhi took him there in 1983 as part of the Youth Congress.The Gandhis have been contesting this Lok Sabha seat since 1999. Rahul Gandhi won it thrice in a row (2004, 2009, and 2014), but he lost to BJP's Smriti Irani by 55,000 votes in 2019. Now the Congress has fielded Sharma from its bastion, while Rahul has filed nomination from Raebareli, which was his mother's seat. Sanjay Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have also won Amethi in the past.
Punjab Congress working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu said: "Sharma lives in Ludhiana with his wife and two daughters, with a house even in Delhi. His wife runs their petrol pump in Ludhiana, but despite working for the party in Amethi, Shama comes home regularly. The family was in Delhi when his daughters studied there. His elder daughter got married recently."
Candidate's wife, Kiran Sharma, said: "My husband spends 5 days a month in Ludhiana and rest of the days works for the party in Delhi and Amethi." Ludhiana ex-councillor Kuldeep Janda said: "I am in Amethi with family to back Sharma."