British Indian dentist Dr Vinay Raniga selected as Tory parliamentary candidate for Oxford

Dr Vinay Raniga, a British Indian doctor renowned for establishing an educational charity focused on dental training, has been selected as the parliamentary candidate by the Conservative Party to contest from Oxford in the next UK general election, expected in 2024.

The 30-year-old dental surgeon, based in the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency in south-east England, shared the news on social media, expressing his commitment to building upon his contributions to the National Health Service (NHS).

Emphasising the honor and responsibility of public service, Dr Raniga has commenced his campaign efforts. In a recent post, he stated, “Having served my NHS patients diligently, it’s now time to advocate for Oxford West & Abingdon.”

Reflecting on the trust placed in him by local residents, Dr. Raniga expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent the community where he lives, works, and studied.

The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, where he earned his Master of Public Policy (MPP), congratulated him on his candidacy.

The school highlighted Dr Raniga’s belief in community cohesion and his policy interests in healthcare and empowering individuals through entrepreneurial opportunities.

A graduate of Barts and the London School of Dentistry, Raniga trained as a junior head and neck surgeon at Northwick Park Hospital in London and went on to found Dentify – an educational company which has trained several dentists in clinical governance, situational judgement and leadership.

It is when undertaking a gap year in India a few years ago, volunteering and learning about his heritage, that Raniga says he found himself in something of a crisis. He was torn between going down a more traditional route into politics by studying subjects like Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE), and going into dentistry. After seeking advice from a range of people, he made his decision.

He won a Political Leadership Scholarship at the institution, which supports outstanding candidates who want to run for office within five years of graduating and Raniga is following that path.

With inputs from PTI