3 former BSP MLAs, one RJD leader join Congress

Agra: Three former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs and one Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader joined the Congress party here on Saturday.

Three former BSP MLAs – Dr Dharampal Singh, Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha and Thakur Surajpal Singh and RJD leader Anil Chowdhary – were inducted into the Congress in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Congress unit chief Raj Babbar.

Dr Dharam Pal Singh has been a BSP MLA from Etmadpur, Surajpal Singh from Fatehpur Sikri and Kushwaha from Kheragarh.

"The people of Agra wanted me to contest election from here. This is my native place. My colleagues have called me. So I have come here," Babbar said at a press conference here.

Releasing its seventh list of 35 candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party announced Raj Babbar's candidature from Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur Sikri.

Babbar was earlier supposed to contest from Moradabad. However, he had requested the change of seat, following which he was shifted to Fatehpur Sikri while Imran Pratapgarhi was sent to Moradabad.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will start on April 11 with 543 parliamentary seats at stake. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.