New Delhi/IBNS: The Gandhi family moving out of the key Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh has opened the doors for Kishori Lal Sharma, a loyalist of the Gandhis working with the party for four decades.

After his candidature was announced, Sharma thanked the Congress top brass for nominating him from the seat, where Rahul Gandhi faced a shock defeat in the hands of Union Minister Smriti Irani in 2019.

Speaking to the reporters, Sharma said, "I want to thank the Congress party, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for giving me this opportunity. I have been working here for 40 years now.

"I am grateful to the Congress party for recognising such a small worker like me capable of taking such a huge responsibility."

When asked to respond to BJP's jibe that Rahul Gandhi fled from the seat, Sharma said, "Rahul Gandhi is not someone who leaves the battlefield. He is fighting for the whole country."

Who is Kishori Lal Sharma?

Sharma, who is from Punjab's Ludhiana, is associated with Congress for over four decades.

Working in Amethi since 1983, Sharma also played a key role in Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi's win from the seat in 1999.

As per reports, Sharma was close to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. His ties with the Gandhi family strengthened after Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991.

Sharma used to manage the party affairs in Rae Bareli and Amethi, which were the strongholds of Congress.