Both daughters of ex-gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli lose BMC polls

Yogita (L) and Geeta Gawli

• Arun Gawli's daughters lost in 2026 BMC polls, showing a decline in influence.
• Geeta and Yogita Gawli lost their wards to Samajwadi Party and BJP candidates.
• BJP-Shiv Sena leads BMC; BJP becomes largest party.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections of 2026 delivered a significant blow to the political legacy of Arun Gawli, as both his daughters failed to secure victories, underlining what many see as a steady erosion of the family’s influence in Mumbai’s civic politics.

Geeta Gawli and Yogita Gawli, who contested on the ticket of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena -- a party established by their father -- were defeated in their respective wards.

In Byculla’s Ward 212, Geeta Gawli lost to Samajwadi Party candidate Amreen Shehzan Abrahani, while Yogita Gawli was defeated by BJP nominee Rohidas Lokhande in Ward 207.

Before the results, the sisters had spoken about their public image in an interview with NDTV, distancing themselves from their father’s criminal past.

“People don't look up to them as ‘don's daughters’ but ‘daddy's daughters’,” they had said. “People look up to ‘daddy’ with hope and trust. He has resolved many of their issues,” they added, referring to Arun Gawli, who is still popularly known as ‘daddy’ among residents of Dagdi Chawl in Byculla.

Arun Gawli’s rise began in the 1970s, when he entered Mumbai’s underworld along with his brother Kishor as part of the Byculla Company, which operated in areas such as Byculla, Parel, and Saat Rasta. He later took control of the gang in 1988 and was locked in a prolonged rivalry with Dawood Ibrahim’s network through the late 1980s and 1990s.

After initially enjoying the backing of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, a rift in the mid-1990s prompted Gawli to form his own political outfit.

He later served as an MLA from Chinchpokli between 2004 and 2009. Jailed in 2008 for the murder of a Shiv Sena corporator, he was released on bail last September after spending 17 years behind bars.

The defeats come amid broader trends showing the BJP gaining ground in Mumbai and beyond. Early counts indicate the party emerging as the single largest force with leads in 98 seats. The BJP–Shiv Sena alliance has expanded its advantage in the BMC, collectively leading in 128 seats, with Shiv Sena ahead in 30.

Similar patterns have been reported across 28 other municipal corporations, where the BJP has taken the lead in cities including Nagpur, Pune, Thane, Nashik, and Shambhajinagar.