In the first list of 195 candidates declared by BJP on Saturday, Praveen Khandelwal has been fielded from Chandni Chowk, a seat which Vardhan holds at present.Vardhan took to X to announce his intention to return to his ENT clinic in Krishna Nagar after a successful electoral career spanning over thirty years.
“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,” he said.
“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 added.
During his tenure, Vardhan won all five assembly and two parliamentary elections with impressive margins. He held numerous prestigious positions within the party organisation and state and central governments.
The former minister’s post added: “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,!” Vardhan said.
“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,”he wrote.
“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,” he wrote.
“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,” he said.
This comes after BJP leader Jayant Sinha and cricketer-turned-MP Gautam Gambhir announced their decisions not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Sinha revealed that he requested party president JP Nadda to relieve him of direct electoral duties so that he could focus on combating climate change. Gambhir, on the other hand, expressed his desire to focus on his cricketing commitments.