Measuring the electoral pulse
They are all well known medical experts and have earned the respect of the people due to their hard work and dedication towards their profession, which they used for the purpose of serving the society.
They are used to feeling the pulse of the patients and diagnosing their problems, now they are trying to find the pulse of the electorate.
As many as three dozen doctors have taken a plunge into the electoral fray in Uttar Pradesh and have been sweating it out with others in the hope of making it to the seat of power.
While a majority of the doctors have been contesting on the tickets of one or the other major political parties, some others are in the fray as independents and at least one of them has formed his own outfit and has emerged as a force to reckon with in the politics of the state.
Former state Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) president Ramapati Ram Tripathi has a degree in Ayurveda, but dived into active politics later. He is contesting from Siswan on a BJP ticket.
BJP nominee from Gorakhpur Sadar seat Radha Mohan Das is a well known child specialist and had a roaring practice, when he decided to contest in 2002 Assembly polls as an independent and won. He later joined the BJP and came out victorious in 2007 polls as well. He is again in the fray as saffron party nominee.
Dr P K Roy, the Samajwadi Party nominee from Tamkuhi Raj seat in Kushinagar district, was in the state medical services, but quit his job to join active politics.
The list of the doctors trying their luck in the forthcoming Assembly elections in UP is quite long. The SP has fielded as many as eight doctors from different seats in the state. The BJP has also given tickets to five doctors while the number of doctors contesting on BSP ticket is three. Congress has also fielded a few doctors.
One of the doctors has floated his own outfit Peace Party of India. The party has fielded its candidates on all seats. Though it was formed only a few years back, it has been able to secure good number of votes. In the previous Assembly polls, the party posed a tough battle for a number of seats in the eastern region. This time, it is expected to in fact win a few seats.
