Raj Babbar's candidature for Lok Sabha challenged by Ajay Singh

Agra, Oct 17 (IANS) Actor and Congress MP Raj Babbar is facing competition for the Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh's Agra district from his party colleague Ajay Singh, a former deputy railway minister.

Singh, who had earlier represented Agra, told reporters Thursday that he will stand for election in Fatehpur Sikri if he gets clearance from the Jat Mahapanchayat to be held on Oct 19 at Akola.

Raj Babbar, the sitting MP from Fatehpur Sikri, has been campaigning hard in the area on the assurance that he would be fielded as the party candidate.

'So far the Congress parliamentary board has not cleared the candidature of anyone. How can Raj Babbar claim he is the candidate from this seat?' Singh said, adding that Raj Babbar had done nothing for the people in the constituency.

Singh was earlier the Indian high commissioner to Fiji. Hailing from Jengara village in Agra district, Singh has been in and out of local politics for a long time.

Sources said Raj Babbar is not happy with Singh openly challenging him. They said he had joined the Congress on the firm assurance that he would be fielded as the party candidate.