Homeless in New Zealand years ago, Himachal Pradesh man is now MP in Jacinda Ardern's cabinet

Wellington, 19-Oct-2020

Gaurav Sharma, a doctor working as a General Practitioner in Nawton, Hamilton, was on Saturday elected as a member of the New Zealand Parliament. The 33-year-old native of Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district won the election as a Labour Party candidate from Hamilton West. As per the Electoral Commission of New Zealand, Sharma trounced Tim Macindoe from the National Party with a margin of 4,425 votes. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday congratulated Sharma on the victory, saying that the people of the state were proud of the 33-year-old doctor. "Dr Gaurav, who belongs to Galod in Hamirpur, has earned a name for the state and the country and the people of Himachal Pradesh are feeling proud of this achievement," said Thakur. Gaurav Sharma was in Class 9 when he moved to New Zealand with his father and mother. Sharma's father, who used to work as an executive engineer in the electricity board of Himachal Pradesh, had resigned from his government job and shifted to New Zealand. However, the change was not that smooth. During the initial years in New Zealand, Sharma�s family had to face a lot of struggle. His father finally landed a job after six years. Due to constraints, the family was rendered homeless for some time. As per sources, the family used to spend nights on benches in parks.In 2017, Sharma had given an interview while visiting Shimla where he had reportedly said that he liked to converse in the Pahari language during his stay in Himachal Pradesh and loved Himachali food the most. Gaurav Sharma studied Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery at The University of Auckland Medical School and later earned a Master�s degree in Business Administration from The George Washington University in Washington DC where he was a Fulbright Scholar. �Gaurav Sharma has been involved in the Labour Party across various levels � from being a grassroots volunteer in 2014 to recently being the Chairperson of Hamilton West electorate and the Deputy Chairperson of Labour Regional 2 Council (LRC). He has also worked with the Labour Party in policy formation not only in these roles but also on the party�s Policy Council as well as Multicultural Sector�s Policy Committee,� as per his website.