Chandigarh, May 5: An advocate-turned-politician, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has gradually moved his way up in his political career while maintaining a clean image. However, this will be impacted by a bribery scandal in which his nephew Vijay Singla figures prominently.
Bansal, 64 (born July 16, 1948), who is into his fourth term as MP from Chandigarh, is generally a soft-spoken man who has maintained a low-profile even as a top politician.
His appointment as railway minister last year was welcomed by Chandigarh residents and within weeks of his taking over, the city got a new Shatabdi Express train connection to New Delhi, in addition to two existing ones, and the Chandigarh railway station started getting a major facelift.
Bansal used to be a frequent traveller on the Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi Express train and continued to do this even after becoming railways minister (not using the special salon meant for railway ministers).
