Congress lashes out at BJP over 'clerk' jibe at Amethi candidate

Priyanka Gandhi defended Congress's Amethi candidate Kishori Lal Sharma against BJP's "clerk" jibe, calling it "uncultured" and asserting that Sharma is a dedicated servant of the constituency for over 40 years. She expressed confidence in the party's victory in both Rae Bareli and Amethi, where Rahul Gandhi and Sharma are contesting respectively.

Slamming the BJP for its ''clerk'' jibe at Congress's Amethi candidate Kishori Lal Sharma, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Friday said it is the ruling party's mentality to talk in this ''uncultured'' way and asserted there is no better candidate for this constituency than Sharma.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, Priyanka Gandhi said Sharma was like family and had served Amethi for over 40 years.

She exuded confidence that the Congress will win both the constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi in the Lok Sabha polls.

While former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh in Rae Bareli, Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma is taking on BJP's Smriti Irani in Amethi.

Asked about the strategy behind the Congress fielding Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli instead of Amethi, Priyanka Gandhi said, ''Both the seats are the same for us. In both the seats, our family has worked for generations. Kishori Lal Sharma has worked for over 40 years, he knows every nook and corner here. ''He (Sharma) knows when a particular road was constructed... There is no better candidate than him for Amethi,'' Priyanka Gandhi said while on the campaign trail in Amethi.

''He is also like our family. He has worked shoulder to shoulder with us here for over 40 years. We see both the seats from the same perspective. I am managing both the elections for Kishori Lal ji and Rahul ji's election. We will win both the seats,'' she said.

Asked about the BJP's Rae Bareli candidate calling Sharma ''Priyanka Gandhi's clerk'' and the Gandhi family's ''peon'', Priyanka Gandhi said this is their mentality to talk in this ''uncultured'' manner.

''This is not right, this is uncultured talk, this is their mentality, their nature is 'asabhya (uncultured)'. At every level their views are 'asabhya'. Kishori ji has served a lot here,'' she said.

Her remarks come a day after BJP's Rae Bareli candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh accused the Gandhi family of harbouring ''hatred'' for Rae Bareli-Amethi, and asked why they did not field a local leader but opted for ''Priyanka Gandhi's clerk'' to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Amethi.

She will stay camped in Rae Bareli and Amethi till polls are held in the two seats on May 20.

She is addressing back to back corner meetings in various villages of Rae Bareli and Amethi.

In 2019 polls, while Sonia Gandhi had won from Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi had lost to the BJP's Smriti Irani in Amethi.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)