Harsh Vardhan, former union health minister, announces retirement from politics ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Former health minister and senior BJP leader Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Sunday announced his retirement from politics ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The announcement comes after BJP announced candidates for Lok Sabha elections, yesterday. BJP has decided to field Pawan Khandewal from Delhi's Chandi Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, currently held by Harsh Vardhan. Yesterday, East Delhi BJP MP, Gautam Gambhir also announced his retirement from politics.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Harsh Vardhan wrote, "After over thirty years of a glorious 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 organisation and the governments at the state and centre I finally bow out to return to my roots."

He further wrote, "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."

The post further read, "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."