PTI
 
Lucknow, Sep 5: Having supported gangster Bablu Srivastava in the last Lok Sabha elections, Apna Dal is "not averse" to giving party tickets to underworld dons Abu Salem and Dawood Ibrahim for the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

"We are not averse to giving tickets to criminals. If they leave the path of crime and want to contest the Assembly election, the Apna Dal welcomes them," its President Sonelal Patel said at a function here to release a book, 'Unfulfilled Dreams' by Srivastava.

He said they would give the party ticket for Mubarakpur Assembly constituency in Azamgarh district to Salem if it was approached.

On Dawood Ibrahim, Patel said "if he will leave the world of crime, the party could consider his candidature as well. The name of our party is Apna Dal and we are ready to help all those elements who want to leave crime and do social service by entering politics".

Salem, who is currently lodged in jail after being extradited from Portugal, had expressed his desire to enter politics by contesting the UP Assembly elections due next year. His lawyer Harjot Singh on Monday said "we will soon approach the court to seek its permission".

Singh claimed Salem was within his rights to contests the Constitution permitted undertrials to take part in elections.

Srivastava, now in Bareilly jail, had contested the last Lok Sabha polls from Sitapur as an Independent. He was supported by the Apna Dal and lost his security deposit.

He wanted to attend Tuesday's book release function but the Allahabad High Court on Monday turned down his plea to come to the state capital.