Chalo Amethi the call as Malerkotla vows support to Kishori Lal vs Irani

Mahesh Sharma

Malerkotla, May 4

Office-bearers and activists of various commercial organisations have started coordinating with their friends and kin in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh to harness support for Kishori Lal Sharma, who has been named the Congress candidate for the seat in place of Rahul Gandhi.

Born and brought up in a middle-class family of Malerkotla, Kishori Lal Sharma is also expected to receive support from various constituents of the Samyukat Kisan Morcha and unorganised peasant families, who have announced that they would oppose Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani (BJP nominee for Amethi) and Kangana Ranaut (BJP candidate for Mandi in Himachal Pradesh) for making insulting remarks against women accompanying protesting farmers during the farm agitation three years ago.

Former councillor Jagdish Jaggie said residents of Malwa, including Malerkotla, Khanna and Ludhiana, were enthusiastic about buttressing the election campaign of Sharma, who had been launched as the Congress nominee for the Amethi constituency by the Grand Old Party to replace Rahul Gandhi.

“In order to seek support for Sharma, we had started contacting our acquaintances in Amethi immediately after he filed his nomination, and now we have got air tickets booked for joining the campaign in person,” said Jaggie. He said the ones going to Amethi include office-bearers and activists of Brick Kiln Owners Association, Industrial Chamber and major social organisations of the region.

Vijay Shahi, an office-bearer of the Brick Kiln Owners Association and Petroleum Dealers Association in Ludhiana, said activists of various organisations had announced that they would leave for Amethi in groups under the leadership of Senior Congress leaders Ashwani Sharma and Ranjeet Singh Gandhi.

“As Sharma has been actively associated with the outfits working for the welfare of entrepreneurs, we will also be joining his election campaign in Amethi,” said Shahi.

Women led by former sarpanch of Chhanna village here, Rachhpal Kaur, said activists of various outfits working for rural women were enthusiastic about expressing their anger and anguish against Smriti Irani and Kangana Ranaut for their insulting remarks against protesting Punjabi women.

“Now it is our turn to retaliate by opposing them in the elections, particularly in Amethi,” said Rachhpal Kaur.