Mumbai, Feb 27 : Former mafia don and Maharashtra legislator Arun Gawli's party -- Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS) on Friday joined hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP).

Gawli will contest the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat on a BSP ticket.

"The ABS chief has already given a letter of consent to merge the two parties," BSP state president Vilas Garud said.

Congress's Eknath Gaekwad is presently representing the constituency.

Gawli was elected to the assembly from a south Mumbai constituency, Chinchpokli, in 2004. He was sent to custody in September last year in connection with an extortion case. (ANI)