Click to play videoMumbai: The presence of the underworld may soon be seen in the local civic body office in Mumbai. The dreaded Mumbai underworld may no longer be the dominant presence as it once was but when the stakes are high the dons aren't too far behind. In the battle for the country's richest civic body the mafia influence goes beyond just hawala money or muscle power.
Aiding the underworld in its quest for proxy power are the mainstream political parties fielding the family of dons or their key aides.
33-year-old Soban Ahmad Parwin fighting on a Samjwadi Party ticket is the nephew of Tareeq Parwin, former close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, Tareeq Parwin who is now out on bail was deported from Dubai in 2004.
The Republican Party self proclaimed upholder of Ambedkars ideals, that claims a deep Buddhist influence is the chosen party for don Chotta Rajan's family. Rajan's sister Sunita Chavan and nephew Satish Chavan are in the fray for the RPI.
The Mumbai corporation elections some say is akin to the elections in Chicago in 1934, then in the grip of organised crime. Mumbai is today a city of trillion rupees real estate deals and with the BMC holding the key to several sanctions that determine the nature of these deals, direct control of the corporation is coveted.
And one gangster who has shown the path to political acceptability is Arun Gawli alias Daddy. Once a Shiv Sena backer, a bloody feud led to Gawli floating his won party. Now, with Daddy in jail it's the daughter shoring up his political gains.
Corporator Geeta Gawli said, "There is no comparison between Gawli and Dawood, my father faced the law."
It's no gang war but much like the battle for the supremacy of the streets the corporation election will be fought just as keenly.
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