Underworld don Abu Salem likely to contest elections in UP

LUCKNOW: Underworld don Abu Salem, lodged in a jail in Lucknow after his extradition from Portugal, wants to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Salem's lawyer Harjot Singh told reporters on Monday that his client wanted to contest the assembly polls due early next year and said "we will soon seek court's permission in this regard".

The constituency from where Salem might contest was yet to be decided, Singh said.

He said Salem was within his rights to contest elections "as our Constitution permits undertrials to take part in the poll process".

Mafia don Bablu Srivastav, now in Bareilly jail, had contested the last Lok Sabha polls from Sitapur as an Independent.

Srivastav, who was supported by the Apna Dal, had lost his security deposit.