Between 1980 and 1989, Raj Babbar was seen in over 110 films, predominantly in lead roles, although many of these solos flopped.Following weeks of speculation surrounding his candidacy, the Congress party announced actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar as its pick for the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat. This is the first time since Gurgaon’s birth as a Lok Sabha constituency in 2008 that Congress has nominated a candidate outside the Yadav community, which holds considerable sway in south Haryana.
Raj Babbar, who has served thrice as a Lok Sabha MP and twice as a Rajya Sabha member, emerged as the preferred choice over veteran Congress leader and former minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, following extensive deliberation among party insiders. Sources indicate that former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda advocated for Babbar’s candidacy.
Babbar will face Union Minister and incumbent BJP MP Rao Inderjit Singh, who secured victories in the 2009, 2014, and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Despite Congress’ unsuccessful bid with Capt Ajay Yadav in the 2019 elections, the party remains optimistic about Babbar’s prospects in Gurgaon. His Punjabi heritage and the substantial Punjabi voter demographic in the constituency are viewed as advantageous factors.
Babbar’s last electoral contest in the National Capital Region (NCR) dates back to 2014 when he was pitted against former Army chief Gen VK Singh (retd), who clinched a resounding victory on a BJP ticket. This election presents a fresh opportunity for Babbar to harness his experience and connect with the electorate on issues that matter and sway the electoral tide in Congress’s favour.
From an actor to a politician
Celebrated for his memorable roles in cinematic classics like “Insaf Ka Tarazu,” “Nikaah,” and “Aaj Ki Aawaz,” Raj Babbar seamlessly transitioned from an actor to a political figure in the late 1980s. Born into a family of railway employees, Babbar’s early life was marked by humble beginnings, spent in rented homes.
He fondly remembers how when he bought his first home in Mumbai, breaking a longstanding familial tradition of generations residing in railway quarters, “it felt good.”
Hailing from Agra and raised in Tundla, Babbar carved a niche for himself as an actor, achieving several notable firsts throughout his illustrious career. He became the only Bollywood star to lead the Uttar Pradesh Congress unit. As an alumnus of Delhi’s prestigious National School of Drama (1972-75), he distinguished himself as the first graduate from the institution to attain stardom in mainstream Bombay cinema.
Babbar’s cinematic debut came with the Punjabi film “Chann Pardesi” (1981), followed by his first Hindi venture, Lekh Tandon’s “Sharda” (1981), although “Insaf Ka Tarazu” (1980) released earlier, catapulting him to stardom. Reflecting on his meteoric rise, Babbar attributed much of his success to filmmaker BR Chopra.
“I always say – because I feel it – that my parents gave me my name, Raj Babbar. But Chopra saab gave me recognition and identity as Raj Babbar. He is not my godfather. He is my father,” the actor said. Eager to cash in, other biggies from the United Producers cabal now burst into action. “But I received only Rs 10,000 for those movies,” he revealed.
Between 1980 and 1989, Raj Babbar was seen in over 110 films, predominantly in lead roles, although many of these solos flopped.
Reflecting on his foray into politics, Babbar expressed a genuine interest in social service, viewing politics as a platform to advocate for his beliefs both on reel and in real life.
His political journey began in 1989 with the Janata Dal under the leadership of VP Singh. Serving as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1994 to 1999, he secured reelection for a second term in the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004. However, his tenure with the Samajwadi Party was marred by suspension in 2006, leading him to join the Congress in 2008.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Babbar clinched victory for his fourth term as Member of Parliament by defeating Dimple Yadav, the wife of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Subsequently, he contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Ghaziabad but faced defeat at the hands of BJP’s General VK Singh.
He became the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) in 2016. He lost the 2019 elections to BJP’s Rajkumar Chahar by a huge margin of 4,95,065 votes.
During the UPA era, Babbar earned the moniker of a “motor-mouth.” He had embarrassed Dr Manmohan Singh government by claiming he could buy a meal in Mumbai for Rs 12 and that a poor person in India can get full meals two times a day, within Rs 28 to 32. He got away after an apology.
Later, his comparison of Narendra Modi to Adolf Hitler in July 2013 stirred controversy.
By 2021, Babbar’s association with the Congress party and active involvement in politics had visibly waned, prompting speculation about his political future. His tenure in the Rajya Sabha concluded in December 2020, and presently, he holds no parliamentary office.