Harsh Vardhan was replaced by senior BJP leader J.P. Nadda as health minister on Sunday Harsh Vardhan was replaced by senior BJP leader J.P. Nadda as health minister on Sunday

A surprise element of the expansion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of ministers was the moving out of Dr. Harsh Vardhan from the Health Ministry, a move that immediately triggered speculation that he could be projected as the BJP's face for upcoming assembly polls in Delhi.

Harsh Vardhan was replaced in the Health Ministry by senior BJP leader J. P. Nadda and he was given the relatively low profile job of handling the Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Ministries.

The move, sources in the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) said, meant that a "bigger responsibility" would be handed over to the ENT surgeon ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections likely to be held early next year. Some sources claimed he could even be projected as the BJP's chief ministerial candidate.

There was speculation that the downgrading of Harsh Vardhan's portfolio would give him ample time for bigger responsibilities. "Harsh Vardhan was running the Health Ministry well but he is seen as an important candidate in the upcoming Delhi elections. He may be given responsibilities for the elections. He is a very good candidate for the post of chief minister," a BJP source said. "In the last election, we didn't form the government because we didn't get a major chunk of votes. Considering the situation in Delhi, Harsh Vardhan may prove to be a great face for the BJP," the source added.

Asked about his opinion on the matter on Monday, Harsh Vardhan said, "If people have questions regarding my new role, they are welcome. I don't have anything to say regarding other issues. I only have to say that I will perform my duties loyally in my new role.

"I am proud to get a key portfolio for implementing the PM's policies and vision. I will get research done on a better prediction model for the monsoons and weather and all other activities will be done in mission mode."

Harsh Vardhan represents Chandni Chowk constituency in the Lok Sabha. He was earlier an MLA representing Krishna Nagar in the Delhi assembly since 1993. Adding to his profile is his achievement of overseeing the successful pilot project of the Pulse Polio Programme as a state Minister of Health in 1994. This involved the mass immunisation of a million children up to the age of three in Delhi.

