Congress on Saturday appointed former Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Kumar Bansal as the interim treasurer of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). The post fell vacant after the sudden demise of veteran Congressman and sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, Ahmed Patel earlier this month.
Pawan Kumar Bansal’s predecessor Ahmed Patel served as the AICC treasurer from August 2018 till his untimely demise earlier this week due to corona.
A four-time Lok Sabha MP from Chandigarh, Pawan Kumar Bansal also served one term as a Rajya Sabha MP for Punjab. In addition, Pawan Kumar Bansal has also served as a national spokesperson of the AICC and chairman of the party’s research & reference cell in the past.
The 72-year old Congress leader handled the Minister of State (MoS) portfolio in Parliamentary Affairs, Finance and Water resources ministries during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure. He was made the Railways Minister in UPA-2. Pawan Kumar Bansal resigned from the post in 2013 after his nephew was accused in a bribery case.
Towards the beginning of his political career, Bansal entered the limelight when he was appointed president of the Punjab unit of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC).
His appointment to the top job comes at a time when Congress is looking to challenge not just the BJP but other Opposition parties in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Responding to his appointment as AICC treasurer, Bansal said, “I thank Congress President Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul ji for posing faith in me and discharging the duty with full responsibility shall be my endeavour.”
