DENIAL OF PARTY TICKETS TO AN EMINENT CRICKETER TURNED MP GAMBHIR AND SEASONED POLITICIAN, MP DR HARSH VARDHAN LEADS TO THEIR QUITTING ACTIVE POLITICS
Two important personalities of Bhartiya Janata Party viz. Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Gautam Gambhir have quit politics after they were denied parliamentary tickets by the BJP high command. Though eminent cricketer Gautam Gambhir – MP from East Delhi had given pre -information about his quitting politics and concentrating on cricket, his passionate game before the release of Delhi BJP MPs candidates’ list but Dr.Harsh Vardan did so after his name was cut and Praveen Khandelwal given the ticket from Chandni Chowk, replacing him. A seasoned politician , 69 years old Dr.Harsh Vardhan had a chequered socio political career of more than three decades. An Indian Otarhinolaryngologist, Dr.Harsh Vardhan was the minister of Health and family Welfare, Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences in the BJP led NDA government led by PM Narendra Modi from 30 May 2019 to 7 July, 2021. He was divested of his health Ministry portfolio during Covid times. Dr Harsh Vardhan, an MBBS, MD, ENT was the MLA for five terms from Krishna Nagar, Delhi before being elected as MP, Lok Sabha from Chandni Chowk, Delhi in the 17 th Lok Sabha having later on elected to the Executive Board of WHO. He represented Lok Sabha from Chandni Chowk twice. A Swayamsewak at heart Dr.Harsh Vardhan was an ardent admirer of Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s Antodya’s philosophy. While quitting politics he said he is returning back to his clinic to serve his ENT patients after a protracted gap. Thanking prime minister Narendra Modi for giving him the privilege to serve as union minister twice under his leadership Dr.Harsh Vardhan posted a detailed matter on social media platform X :
After over thirty years of a glorious electoral career, during which I won all the five assembly and two parliamentary elections that I fought with exemplary margins, and held a multitude of prestigious positions in the party organisation and the governments at the state and centre I finally bow out to return to my roots
Service to mankind was my motto when I joined MBBS in GSVM Medical College, Kanpur fifty years back with a desire to help the poor and needy. A swayamsewak at heart, I have always been an ardent admirer of Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji’s Antodaya philosophy of striving to serve the last man in the queue. It was at the insistence of the then RSS leadership that I jumped into the electoral fray. They could convince me only because for me politics meant opportunity to fight our three main enemies – poverty, disease and ignorance. Without remorse, I must say that it has been a marvelous innings during which my passion to serve the common man was quenched. I served as Delhi Health Minister as well as twice Union Health Minister, a subject close to my heart. I had the rare opportunity bestowed upon me to be able to first work towards creating a Polio free Bharat and then to take care of the health of millions of our countrymen grappling with the dreaded COVID-19 during its first and second phases. In the long history of mankind, only a few have been granted the privilege to defend their people in hours of gravest danger! And I can proudly claim that I didn’t shirk responsibility, but welcomed it. My gratitude to Ma Bharati, my reverence to my fellow citizens and my obeisance to the values enshrined in our Constitution. And yes, that was the biggest privilege that Bhagwan Shri Ram bestowed upon me, the privilege of being able to save human lives !! I would like to thank all my party karyakartas, my fans and supporters amongst the common citizens as well as my party leaders .. all of whom have contributed to this remarkable journey spanning over three decades. I must acknowledge that I consider it a great privilege to have worked closely with the most dynamic Prime Minister in India’s history, Shri Narendra Modi ji. The country wishes him a heroic return to power again. I shall continue to pursue my work against tobacco and substance abuse, against climate change and teaching simple and sustainable lifestyles.
A big shout out for all those who stood by me like a rock while I clocked many firsts and led a fulfilled political life. I move on, I really can’t wait. I have promises to keep .. and miles to go before I sleep !! I have a dream .. and I know your blessings shall always remain with me . My ENT clinic at Krishna Nagar too awaits my return wrote Dr.Harsh Vardhan on X.
