Surgeon in poll fray to excise graft

Many professionals are trying to gain entry into mainstream politics through civic elections this year. Dr Sambit Patra is one of the professionals contesting for a councillor’s seat.

Dr Patra, a surgeon, was a medical officer in the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital. He got a ticket from the BJP and resigned from the post to contest the election. Dr Patra hails from Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. The 37- yearold surgeon says he came into politics to clean up the system.

“On the dining table with family members, in lunch break with friends or in any get together we always discussed how this country is being looted by corrupt leaders. Then one day, I though that without doing anything we can not curse the system and decided to be part of the system to clean it up and joined politics,” he told this newspaper. Dr Patra is working hard to gain the confidence of the voters of his area by doing “pad yatra” ( door- todoor) campaign.

“For a doctor or any professional such kind of cam- paigning is a completely strange job. But I am enjoying the new session of my life. Both rich and poor live in the constituency and it is a challenge to meet their demands,” he added.

Apart from Dr Patra, homeopathic doctor and member of the panel of doctors for the president of India, Dr Nandini Sharma is also contesting from Hauz Rani area.