"Necessary permission has been taken from the election commission," Srivastava's lawyer Ram Ugrah Shukla said in the state capital Lucknow on Friday.

Indian law only bars a person from running for office once they are convicted of a crime by a court, which often happens years, even decades, after an arrest.

Srivastava was charged with murder and running a kidnapping and extortion racket before his arrest in Singapore in 1997. He has never been convicted of any wrongdoing.

He will run as an independent candidate without the backing of any major political group, Shukla said.

Politics in this Indian state and many others is dominated by local strongmen who often use violence to intimidate rivals' supporters. At least eight people were killed in Uttar Pradesh's last state elections in 2002.

In the current state assembly, 106 of the 403 members are facing criminal charges, including murder and kidnapping.

One lawmaker, Ramakant Yadav, won an election from jail. His brother, Umakant Yadav, a member of the national Parliament, has been charged with murder.

News reports have claimed Srivastava continues to run his business from prison. But his lawyer says he's innocent.

"Police have not been able to prove charges against Babloo in the court," Shukla said.

Goosey's Gabbings...

Well, at least there's one guy in the world who George Bush may defeat in an electoral race....Ok, maybe not.