Amethi, May 3 (PTI) Describing himself as a "sewak" (servant) of the Gandhi family, Congress candidate from Amethi K L Sharma on Friday said he would fulfil whatever responsibility is being entrusted to him by the Gandhi family.

Hailing from Ludhiana in Punjab, Sharma, a confidante of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, has been working for the family for more than four decades.

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"I have always been a sewak of the Gandhi family and whatever responsibility the Gandhi family has entrusted to its sewak, I will fulfil it," Sharma told PTI in Amethi.

Sharma first came to Amethi in 1987 and has been working for the party in the constituency since then. Later in 2014, Rahul Gandhi shifted him to Rae Bareli only and appointed Chandrakant Dubey as his representative in Amethi.

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In his late 60s, Sharma lived in the Gandhi family's rest house in Bhoi Mou, Raebareli.

Talking to PTI, Sharma said he would still prefer if a member of the Gandhi family contests the election from Amethi but he has accepted the party's order in this regard.

"Even today, I want the Gandhi family to contest the election from Amethi. But I consider it my duty to accept the order given by the family," Sharma told PTI at the Gauriganj Congress office here.

"I have always been a 'sevak' of the Gandhi family and whatever responsibility the Gandhi family has entrusted to its sevak, I will fulfil it," he said.

Replying to a question on the contest against Union Minister Smriti Irani, he said, "I am a sewak and will remain a sewak. It is true that the battle in Amethi will be between a devotee and a sewak. The decision is in the hands of the public."

Saying that the Gandhis have "family ties" with Amethi, he said it will remain so in the future as well. "There is no doubt about it, I have come as a sewak and will work only as a sewak. Every worker of Amethi is connected to the family and will work for it," he said.

Ending days of suspense, Congress fielded Kishori Lal Sharma, who was the representative of Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, as its candidate from the seat.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)