Gaurav Sharma, an Indian-immigrant New Zealand doctor has been elected into the New Zealand Parliament after Saturday’s elections. He is a native of Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur and won the seat as a part of Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party.
Himachal Pradesh Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur congratulated Sharma and said that the state was proud of him.
Gaurav had moved to New Zealand with his family when he had been in class 9. His father had resigned his government job in Himachal Pradesh’s electricity board to move to New Zealand. In the initial stages, they had been homeless for a brief period of time, sleeping on park benches.
Speaking to the press, Gaurav said, “I am in politics for social service, as my family had gone through a lot of hardships. What really helped us was social security, which New Zealand did really well — not so much now, though”. “This is the start because we have to make sure that we keep the promises we make, as the Opposition will hold us accountable for not fulfilling our promises”, he added.
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.