Harsh Vardhan, the unifying force in Delhi BJP takes oath as Cabinet Minister

NEW DELHI: Known for his easy-going attitude and simplicity, Harsh Vardhan is credited with steadfastly uniting various factions in Delhi BJP and leading the party's aggresive campaign for Lok Sabha polls in which it recorded a clean sweep.

An RSS member since his younger days, 59-year-old Vardhan was BJP's Chief Ministerial nominee in the assembly polls in December last year and was made the city unit chief of the party in February replacing Vijay Goel.

Under his leadership, BJP won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.

A practicing ENT surgeon, Vardhan had taken a strong stand of not trying to cobble up a government in the city after the party fell short of four seats in the Delhi assembly polls in December last year.

Vardhan had entered the political fray in 1993 when he successfully contested the Assembly polls from Krishna Nagar constituency in East Delhi in 1993. He went on to retain the seat in the 1998, 2003 and 2008 assembly elections.

Fondly called "Doctor Saab" by supporters and opponents alike, Vardhan is known for his efforts in eradicating polio in Delhi when he was the Health Minister.

He is known to share a very cordial relationship with RSS and people close to him say he still retains the Swayamsevak's tendency to downplay the "Swayam" (self) giving precedence to "Seva" (service).

During his Ministership in the Delhi government (1993-98), people had found him remarkably accessible and officials respected him for his hands-on style of functioning.

"He joined politics with the laudable objective of using his considerable medical knowledge and experience for serving the common man," former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said once about Vardhan.

Apart from being an effective minister, he also proved his organisational capabilities by rebuilding the BJP's operations in Delhi, virtually from scratch, after the party's defeat in the 2003 Assembly Election.

In late 2003, he was appointed as president of Delhi BJP. He is credited with rebuilding the party at the grassroot level after the party's defeat in the assembly polls that year.

In April 2007, the party recaptured power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and in 2008, the party emerged victorious in the Delhi Cantonment Board election under his leadership.

Vardhan, known for his simplicity and amiable leadership style, is admired by many leaders belonging to various political parties.