The Congress Saturday nominated Bollywood veteran Raj Babbar to contest the Lok Sabha by-election from Ferozabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

"The Congress president Sonia Gandhi has approved the candidature of Raj Babbar for the forthcoming by-election to the Lok Sabha from Ferozabad, " a party release said.

Raj Babbar joined Congress after being expelled from the Samajwadi Party in 2006. He had contested April-May Lok Sabha polls from Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh but lost to Seema Upadhyay of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

By-elections will be held in Ferozabad after sitting MP Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party vacated the seat. Akhilesh Yadav, son of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, resigned as he had also won from Kannauj.