Fri Jan 16 07:30:00 UTC 2026: ### Headline: Gavli Family Suffers Setback as Daughters Lose BMC Elections in Mumbai

The Story

The family of Arun Gavli, a gangster-turned-politician with a once-strong influence in Mumbai politics, has suffered a significant blow in the 2026 BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) elections. Both of his daughters, Geeta Gavli and Yogita Gavli, lost their respective municipal elections. This defeat signals a potential decline in the Gavli family’s political power.

Geeta Gavli, representing the Akhil Bharatiya Sena (Gavli’s party), was defeated in Ward 212 (Byculla) by Amreen Shehzan Abragani of the Samajwadi Party. Yogita Gavli lost in Ward 207 to Rohidas Lokhande, a BJP candidate. This double defeat is considered a major setback for the Gavli family, who once held considerable sway in the Byculla area.

Key Points

  • Arun Gavli’s daughters, Geeta Gavli and Yogita Gavli, lost in the 2026 BMC elections.
  • Geeta Gavli (Akhil Bharatiya Sena) lost to Amreen Shehzan Abragani (Samajwadi Party) in Ward 212 (Byculla).
  • Yogita Gavli lost to Rohidas Lokhande (BJP) in Ward 207.
  • Arun Gavli rose to prominence in Mumbai’s underworld in the 1970s.
  • Gavli headed the ‘Byculla Company’ gang and had a fierce rivalry with Dawood Ibrahim in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • Gavli received political patronage from Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray in the 1980s, but differences emerged in the mid-1990s.
  • Gavli formed his own party and served as an MLA from Chinchpokli from 2004 to 2009.
  • He was jailed in 2008 for the murder of a Shiv Sena councilor and released on bail last September after nearly 17 years.

Key Takeaways

  • The defeat of both Gavli daughters suggests a weakening of the family’s political hold.
  • The election results indicate a shift in political influence within the Byculla area, once a stronghold of the Gavli family.
  • The legacy of Arun Gavli, once a powerful figure in Mumbai’s underworld and later a politician, is facing challenges in the current political landscape.

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