Dr GS Wander withdraws candidature for BFUHS VC post after governor rejects government move

LUDHIANA: Noted cardiologist Dr Gurpreet Singh Wander has withdrawn his candidature for the post of vice chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, days after Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit rejected the state government’s move and sought a list of three names to choose from. Sources said that Wander has withdrawn his candidature citing personal reasons. It is learnt that he has informed the chief minister’s office about his decision. This means the Bhagwant Mann-led government will now have to send a panel of three candidates for the VC post of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, without Wander's name. Governor Purohit had on Tuesday sent back the file with the proposal to appoint Wander as VC. Chief Minister Mann had recently made the announcement regarding Wander's appointment.

Reacting to the development, Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia said an eminent cardiologist has been embarrassed and forced to withdraw his candidature for the VC's post solely because the AAP government mismanaged the appointment process. "An eminent cardiologist, Dr Gurpreet Singh Wander, has been embarrassed & forced to withdraw his candidature for post of VC of Baba Farid Univ of Health Sciences, Faridkot solely becoz the @AAPPunjab govt mismanaged the appointment process. The govt owes an apology to Dr Wander," Majithia said in a tweet.

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When asked that the governor has refused to approve the state government's choice for the VC's post, CM Mann on Tuesday had said if he has desired, the state government will send a panel of three names for appointment. Mann, however, had said the tradition is that the governor gives consent to the name proposed by the government.

In August, the CM had accepted the resignation of Dr Raj Bahadur, who had quit from the post after being "humiliated" at the hands of Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra. In July, Jouramajra had come under fire from several quarters after he was seen allegedly forcing Bahadur to lie on a dirty mattress at a hospital.

Notably, there has been a tussle between Governor Purohit and Chief Minister Mann on many issues. Recently, Purohit had taken an exception to Mann skipping a reception held in the honour of President Droupadi Murmu, who was on her maiden visit to Chandigarh. Prior to this, there had been a squabble between the governor and AAP government over holding a session of the Punjab Assembly. The governor had withdrawn the permission to hold a special session on September 22 after seeking legal opinion when the AAP government wanted to bring a confidence motion only in the House. Later, the governor gave his nod only after the government provided details of the legislative business.