Mumbai: The Gawli family returned to Mumbai’s civic political arena on Friday as sisters Geeta Gawli and Yogita Gawli-Waghmare, daughters of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections from the Byculla constituency.
Geeta Gawli, a former corporator, submitted her nomination from Ward No. 212 on the ticket of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, while her younger sister Yogita Gawli-Waghmare filed her papers from Ward No. 207. With their entry, the total number of candidates who have filed nominations in the first three days of the process has risen to nine.
Geeta Returns In Fray, Yogita Makes Her Debut
Geeta Gawli is a familiar face in civic politics, having won the 2017 BMC elections from Ward No. 212. Her return to the fray signals an attempt by the Gawli family to reclaim its influence in Byculla, an area where Arun Gawli once commanded significant political clout. Yogita Gawli-Waghmare, on the other hand, is contesting an election for the first time, marking the next generation’s formal entry into electoral politics.
The Gawli family has a long and complex political history in central Mumbai. Their aunt, Vandana Gawli, had won from Ward No. 207 in the 2012 civic polls but lost the seat in 2017. Vandana later joined the Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction earlier this year, adding a new political dimension to the family’s electoral legacy.
The nomination process for the BMC elections began on December 23. While a large number of nomination papers have been distributed across the city, the filing of nominations has been relatively slow so far. On Friday alone, 2,040 nomination papers were issued across 23 Returning Officer offices, with seven candidates submitting their applications, including the two Gawli sisters.
According to the State Election Commission, the last date for filing nominations is December 30, 2025. With several major parties yet to officially announce their candidates, political observers expect a surge in nominations in the final days.
The entry of the Gawli sisters has added a major political edge to the Byculla contest, which is expected to witness a keenly fought battle in the upcoming BMC elections. The polling for the BMC elections is scheduled to take place on January 15, 2026. The counting of votes will take place on January 16, 2026.
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