Bansi Lal

Bansi Lal Legha (26 August 1927 – 28 March 2006), also known as Chaudhary Bansi Lal, was an Indian politician, who served as the Minister of Defence of India and three-time Chief Minister of Haryana. He is also known as the 'architect of modern Haryana'. Lal was part of the famous Lal trio of Haryana, which also included Devi Lal and Bhajan Lal, that form the major political families of Haryana. Lal was elected as a Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly seven times, the first time in 1967 from Tosham. He was considered a close confidant of the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, and her son, Sanjay Gandhi, during the Emergency era of 1975-1977. He set up Haryana Vikas Party after parting ways with the Indian National Congress in 1996. He returned to the Congress in 2004, and helped the Congress win the 2005 Assembly elections.