BJP fields veteran in battle for mayor’s post

Panchkula: Former Panchkula BJP president, 70-year-old Sham Lal Bansal was on Wednesday announced as party's mayoral candidate for the upcoming Panchkula civic body polls. Bansal had unsuccessfully contested three state legislative assembly elections from Kalka seat against incumbent Panchkula MLA Chander Mohan.Outgoing mayor Kulbhushan Goyal, social workers Amit Jindal and Pradeep Goyal were among the top BJP contenders for the seat.After the announcement of his candidature, Bansal said, "I have been in public service since the 1970s and if elected, my doors will always be open for the people. I will get their works done."Bansal's father had served as the ‘nagar karyavah' (town-level executive functionary) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Kurali (Punjab) from 1965 to 1967. Born on Oct 15, 1954, Bansal has been associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since 1971 and joined BJP in its early years. Over the decades, he has held several key positions, including president of the Panchkula BJP (1982-87) and district president (1997-98).He has also actively participated in major political movements and campaigns, including the Ayodhya movement and various national-level yatras.Apart from politics, he is a businessman with a background in pharmaceutical industry and operates a WHO-GMP-approved manufacturing unit in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. Currently, Bansal holds several positions in Haryana govt bodies, including roles in finance commissions, development boards, and welfare committees.He will take on Congress' Sudha Bhardwaj, who will contest for the first time. Both mayoral candidates have one thing in common: They live in the same Sector 6, a posh area. On his contender, Bansal said, "Due to Congress' past, people have remained away from them. It will also cost dear to their mayor candidate."
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