Former don Arun Gawli to contest polls in Mumbai from jail India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Former don and Maharashtra legislator Arun Gawli's party, Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS), will contest six seats from Maharashtra in the forthcoming Assembly elections. His daughter Geeta Gawli filed the nomination papers on his behalf after collecting all relevant papers duly signed by him from the jail on Tuesday. Talking to reporters, Geeta said the charismatic spark of her father may be missing during the campaigning but the entire family would be there to canvass for him and the masses would cast their votes in his favour. "The one (Arun Gawli) who used to play the main role during elections is not there. So his magic is missing for sure. We are the ones who play under him. Our party workers have done works in the past and doing more development works would be our motive," Geeta added. Gawli, who is lodged at the Arthur Road jail in connection with a murder and extortion case, was elected to the state legislature in 2004, from the Chinchpokli constituency. Meanwhile Deepak Nikhalje, the younger cousin of another notorious don named Chhota Rajan filed nominations as a candidate of the Republican Party of India (RPI) led by Ramdas Athavale. Nikhalje is contesting as a candidate from the Chembur assembly segment in Mumbai. "Due to the burning of waste material in dumping yards of Ghatkopar, Chembur and Trombay the locals there are falling ill and they are upset. So taking up this issue would be our first motive and the second would be solving the water problems in those areas," said Deepak Nikhalje. Reacting to gangsters and their henchmen entering the electoral fray and in active politics, former Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police, Y C Pawar said that as per Indian Constitution any sane citizen can contest in the elections. "Gangsters have understood that politics is a better option than being in the underworld. Being in politics they can do their activities openly than spoiling their image being in the mafia. You cannot stop them from entering politics but the police can keep a check on their activities," Pawar added.