Renowned legal advocate Ujjwal Nikam, known for his tireless pursuit of justice in the courtroom, is embarking on a new chapter in his illustrious career. Stepping into the realm of politics as the BJP's candidate from Mumbai North Central, Nikam sees this transition as a profound opportunity to extend his commitment to public service and empower the common man. In a recent statement, Nikam expressed his conviction that Parliament offers a significant platform for addressing the needs and concerns of the common people.
A new life is going to start for me which is political life. Till now I used to fight for justice in the court... I think Parliament is the only way through which we can serve the common man."The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dropped Poonam Mahajan as its candidate from Maharashtra’s Mumbai North Central and replaced her with senior lawyer Ujjwal Deorao Nikam.Nikam, a senior public prosecutor, has appeared for the government in several high-profile cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai attack case. In his long and illustrious legal career, the Padmashree awardee was also associated with cases, including the 1993 Bombay bombings, the Gulshan Kumar murder case, and the murder case of Poonam’s father and BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.
He will face Congress’s city unit chief and Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad, both Maharashtrian faces. Reacting to the development, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “It’s a proud moment for all of us that Ujjwal Nikam will raise the voice of his fight against terrorism, in the Parliament now and will work with us towards PM Modi’s vision of eliminating terrorism from its roots. Poonam Mahajan is our sister. Whatever party decides for us and gives the role, we do that with utmost honesty.” Mumbai North Central constituency goes to polls on May 20.Party leaders have claimed that the decision to drop Mahajan was based on organisational feedback. The former president of the BJP’s youth wing, Mahajan had won the seat for the party in 2014 and 2019, defeating Congress’s Priya Dutt.