Senior BJP leader Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced his retirement from politics ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Sunday. This decision came after the BJP announced its candidates for the upcoming elections, with Pawan Khandewal being fielded from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, currently held by Harsh Vardhan. Additionally, Gautam Gambhir, the BJP MP from East Delhi, also announced his retirement from politics.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Harsh Vardhan expressed, “After over thirty years of a remarkable electoral career, during which I won all the five assemblies and two parliamentary elections that I fought with exemplary margins, and held a multitude of prestigious positions in the party organization and the governments at the state and center, I finally bow out to return to my roots.” He further added, “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.”
He continued, “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.” Harsh Vardhan concluded by saying, “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.”
