Gawli

Mumbai, April 19: Arun Gawli now appears to be getting a taste of his own medicine.

The don-turned-politician, whose name still strikes terror in the hearts of many, is running scared that he might be “bumped off” in a fake encounter.

And the enemy to watch for the don of Dagdi chawl — who’s contesting from Mumbai South-Central on an Akhil Bharatiya Sena ticket — is not some old rival but his very own nephew and Nationalist Congress Party candidate, Sachin Ahir.

Gawli’s entry into the fray has turned the constituency into one of the most eagerly watched “fight spaces” in these parts. He is up against sitting Shiv Sena MP Mohan Rawle, who has won the seat a record four times, and Ahir, who is no pushover either.

But there’s little doubt that his candidature has upset calculations and added spice to the big fight. Both his rivals and the ruling Congress-NCP combine look jittery.

Once Gawli let on that he would fight the polls, the government began to dig up old cases against him. It even had him arrested in a 1990 extortion case just before he headed in a big cavalcade of riotous supporters to file his nomination.

The reformed don was let off almost immediately after he furnished a Rs 10,000 bond, but the message was clear: the government wasn’t happy he was in the fray.

Gawli immediately called a news conference and complained his own nephew was after his life. “My own nephew is getting the police to harass me and I may be bumped off on a fake encounter. My life is at risk,’’ he whined, at his Dagdi chawl fortress.

A rattled Ahir waved off the allegations and threatened legal action against his uncle. “What nonsense is this? It is surprising that the person the whole city fears says he is scared of me.”

Ahir, who cut his political teeth at Gawli’s feet, denied asking him to withdraw in his favour. “Old habits die hard — he (Gawli) has threatened some of my supporters. How can anybody threaten him?”

But Gawli sang a different tune. Gandhi cap firmly in place, he said: “I have been through a lot and will not be cowed by threats. This is a democracy and I will not withdraw my nomination under any circumstance.

“Sachin is scared of me, that’s all. The kid who got into politics after I gave him a break in the trade union has turned into a rakshash (demon) now. Power has gone to his head.’’

Rawle won the last election by 176,325 votes.