In 2009, Bansal defeated his BJP rival by nearly 60,000 votes. Nearly 65 percent of the city voters exercised their franchise in 2009 compared to a dismal 50 percent in 2004.
Even though Bansal was not named in the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the scam involving his close family members and associates in May 2013, he was forced to resign as the railway minister.
The taint continues to haunt Bansal. This is his first major election after the episode.
"Bansal became quite a villain after his relatives were caught red-handed taking huge sums of bribes.
His otherwise clean image has taken a beating. His family and relatives prospered in recent years as his political stature grew. The voters could teach him a lesson this time," businessman Arun Bharadwaj told IANS.
