MUMBAI: Former gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli suffered a significant political setback on Friday as both his daughters lost the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections from their respective wards in south and central Mumbai. The defeats, coming soon after Gawli’s release from prison, are being seen as a clear signal of the decline of the family’s long-standing political influence in the Byculla region.

According to election officials, Gawli’s elder daughter Geeta, who was seeking a fourth consecutive term from ward 212 in the Byculla–Agipada belt, was defeated by Samajwadi Party candidate Amrin Shezad Abrahani. His younger daughter Yogita, who was contesting her first election from ward 207 in the Byculla–Chinchpokli area of central Mumbai, lost to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rohidas Lokhande.

Adding to the blow for the Gawli family, his sister-in-law Vandana Pradeep Gawli, who contested from ward 198 on a Shiv Sena ticket, was also defeated. She lost to Aboli Gopal Khadye from the rival Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), underlining the broader erosion of the family’s electoral base in south Mumbai.

The losses mark a sharp reversal of fortunes for the Gawlis, who have held considerable sway in the Byculla area for nearly two decades. Arun Gawli, popularly known as the “Daddy of Dagdi Chawl,” successfully transitioned from the underworld to politics in the early 2000s, building a loyal support base among sections of local residents. His influence extended from the narrow lanes of Dagdi Chawl to the broader Byculla constituency, where his family members repeatedly won civic elections.

Geeta Gawli was first elected as a corporator from Byculla East in 2007 and quickly emerged as a prominent local leader. Over the years, she cultivated an image as an accessible representative, leveraging the family’s deep-rooted connections in the area. Encouraged by her success at the municipal level, she also contested the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2012 and 2017. However, she failed to secure a win on both occasions, hinting at the limits of the family’s appeal beyond civic politics.

Yogita Gawli’s entry into electoral politics was seen as an attempt to extend and consolidate the family’s influence across multiple wards in Byculla. Her defeat in her very first contest suggests that the Gawli brand no longer commands the automatic loyalty it once did, particularly in a changing political environment marked by sharper party competition and shifting voter preferences.

Notably, Arun Gawli himself played an active role in this election campaign. For the first time in years, the former MLA publicly canvassed for his daughters, participating in roadshows and appealing directly to voters. His presence was intended to revive memories of his past political stature and to energise supporters. However, the strategy appears to have had limited impact.

Political observers say the defeats reflect multiple factors, including the consolidation of mainstream parties such as the BJP, the fragmentation of traditional vote banks, and a generational shift among voters. “Byculla has changed demographically and politically,” said a local political analyst. “Younger voters are less influenced by legacy figures and more aligned with party narratives, governance promises, and broader state-level politics.”

The results also come at a sensitive time for Arun Gawli personally. After spending more than 17 years in prison, the 76-year-old walked out of Nagpur Central Prison recently following a Supreme Court order granting him bail. Gawli was serving a life sentence for the 2007 murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar, a case that had effectively ended his active political career.

His release had sparked speculation about whether he might attempt to reassert his influence in Byculla politics, either directly or through family members. Friday’s election results, however, suggest that the political landscape he once dominated has moved on.

For the Shiv Sena (UBT), the defeat of Vandana Gawli by its candidate is being seen as a symbolic victory in a locality once considered difficult terrain due to the Gawli family’s entrenched presence. For the BJP and the Samajwadi Party, the wins underline their ability to cut into traditional local strongholds through targeted campaigning and candidate selection.

As the dust settles on the BMC polls, the setbacks faced by the Gawli family are widely being interpreted as the end of an era in Byculla’s civic politics. While Arun Gawli’s name still evokes strong reactions, the electoral verdict indicates that nostalgia and past influence are no longer enough to secure victories in Mumbai’s fiercely contested political arena.