Chandigarh: Cardiologist-turned-politician Dharamvira Gandhi began his new innings in the Congress here on Monday (April 1) and is likely to be the party’s nominee from the Patiala parliamentary constituency in Punjab that he represented earlier.
Widely regarded as a staunch believer in upholding morality and honesty in public and professional life, he took a plunge into electoral politics after the birth of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2013.
Soon, Gandhi shocked everyone after he defeated the then-Patiala sitting MP Preneet Kaur, wife of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, in his maiden outing as an AAP nominee in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls even as the seat was their royal citadel.
Emerging as a face of the common man, many believe his victory was the result of his distinctive personality and years of selfless public service.
An alumnus of the Government Medical College, Amritsar, Gandhi never commercialised his skills as a cardiologist. Throughout his career, he charged nominal fees from his patients.
Those who could not afford to pay, he checked them for free and even gave them free medicine and heart-related tests at his private clinic in Patiala.
Soon, word of mouth increased patient rush, but he did not change his practice style and was later called as a ‘people’s doctor’.
RTI activist Manik Goyal, who knows him from close quarters, told The Wire that there has been no change in his practice even to this day.
Goyal said Gandhi charged Rs 100 for treatment and offered it for free for those who couldn’t afford it.
“I have many a times seen Dr Gandhi helping poor patients financially too [by paying for] getting advanced treatment from his own pocket,” he added.
He stuck to the same principles even in politics. He was a member of leftist student parties during his college days and actively stayed on the right side of public issues.
Gandhi was not his original surname either. Since he was active in agitations and protests since student days, people gave him the suffix ‘Gandhi’. Later, he chose this as his last name.
From AAP supporter to rebel
He emerged in Punjab’s political scene after he joined the AAP and became MP after his maiden election fight in 2014.
But his stint with the AAP was short-lived. He became its biggest critic after the likes of Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan left the party citing a lack of internal party democracy.
Knowing very well that the party – then under the full control of Arvind Kejriwal – would not take his criticism lightly, Gandhi stayed his course and ultimately paid the price of getting sacked by the AAP in 2015.
Gandhi then joined hands with other AAP rebels unhappy with Kejriwal’s style of functioning and jointly formed the People’s Democratic Front, which also comprised rebel leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) and Bahujan Samaj Party.
Kejriwal attempted to pacify him on several occasions but he stuck to his stand and did not return.
Despite his defeat in the 2019 parliamentary elections, he continued to be among a few relevant opposition voices raising Punjab’s issues as well as targeting the BJP for its divisive and pro-corporate politics during the height of the farm protests.
He again attempted to stitch a political front of like-minded people ahead of the 2022 assembly polls in Punjab, but was largely unsuccessful due to the AAP’s rise.
New innings in the Congress
Although he was once a strong critic of the Congress during emergency days, he says his joining the party was a must to save democracy in the country.
He told The Wire just before his joining in Delhi that the country was left utterly divided under the BJP regime.
He added that secularism, social justice and the freedom of speech are part of the vital ethos of our parliamentary democracy and that they had come under huge threat in the last decade of BJP rule.
According to him, the 2024 election is vital to protect the symbols of our democracy and the Indian constitution, which requires like-minded people to come together.
“Hence, I have joined the Congress, which is fighting tooth and nail to protect the idea of India that our forefathers once dreamt [of],” he added.
Asked if he will feel uneasy due to the AAP and Congress being part of the opposition INDIA alliance given that he has been a staunch critic of the former, Gandhi replied that he has his reservations about the AAP’s intent and sincerity in joining the alliance.
“But in spite of all that, the situation overwhelmingly demands taking drastic steps to defeat the BJP’s divisive politics,” he added.
Meanwhile, if he is fielded from Patiala – which looks likely – he will be facing his old bete noire Preneet Kaur, who is now a BJP candidate.
The AAP on the other hand has fielded local MLA Balbir Singh, who is also health minister in the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab.
The Shiromani Akali Dal is yet to announce his candidate.
