Currently lodged at Pune's Yerawada Central Prison on an attempted murder charge, Gawli chose to submit his nomination papers through a lawyer. It was a low key affair at the District Collectorate with ABS workers not attempting any show of strength.

The nomination papers were filed a day before the hearing of Gawli's bail application at the District and Sessions Court.

Around the time the city was witnessing the tussle between BJP leaders Anna Joshi and Pradip Rawat over the ticket for the Pune LS seat, Gawli's lawyer walked into the office of the returning officer for Khed constituency and submitted the nomination papers. Five minutes later, he was gone.

Officials from the election branch of the District Collectorate said the nomination papers had on them the signatures of Gawli and that of aproposer. Moreover, they were attested by a Yerawada jail officer. Yerawada Central Prison Superintendent Ramrao Chaudhari said Gawli's lawyers had visited the don and taken his signature on the nomination papers on Wednesday afternoon.

Disqualification unlikely

Arun Gawli will not face problems of disqualification for the forthcoming elections. State Chief Electoral Officer Dr D K Sankaran said if Gawli had not been convicted in any case so far, the returning officer would have to accept the nomination papers from Gawli.