MUMBAI, February 6: Ganglord Arun Gawli's fledgling political outfit, the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, is again attempting to pose a challenge to the Shiv Sena. After having fielded its candidates against Sena nominees in last year's BMC elections, this year too, the ABS has put up three of its candidates for the Lok Sabha polls from Mumbai.Surprisingly, one of them will be fighting the Sena's sitting MP Mohan Rawle, known for his sympathy for the Dagdi don, in the South-Central constituency. Rawle had early last year undertaken a fast to protest the arrest of Arun Gawli by the Mumbai police.The ABS candidate against Rawle is Gawli's top aide Raju Kamlakar Shirsat alias Raju Philips, who is a history-sheeter and an accused in 13 cases, including four murders and four attempted murders. The ABS party symbol for the forthcoming elections will be "shield and sword".Raju Philips told this newspaper at the ABS office in Byculla west that the party candidates would approach people with a two-point programme. "Wewill work for social harmony and eradication of unemployment. The party will not organise big rallies, but will focus on door-to-door campaigning." When asked about his criminal past, he refuted all charges, saying the Mumbai police had slapped false cases on him. He also said the ABS was raising poll funds from donations and would soon declare the list of donors.Apart from Philips, the ABS has fielded Kamlesh Nair from North-West Mumbai and Govind Deokar from North Mumbai. The South-Central constituency comprises the Chinchpokli, Nagpada, Mazgaon, Parel, Sewri and Worli constituencies of the legislative assembly. All these places are dominated by lower-middle-class Marathi mill worker families which form a huge constituent of the Shiv Sena's support-base. Interestingly, as far as underworld activities are concerned, the area is Gawli's stronghold.Most of the members of the Gawli gang, which operates from the Dagdi Chawl in Byculla, are from this area. Gawli had fielded 30 ABS candidates from this areafor the 1997 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.Apart from the three candidates in Mumbai, the Akhil Bharatiya Sena has fielded 13 candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from other parts of Maharashtra.
