The BJP’s decision to replace Poonam Mahajan, the sitting MP from Mumbai North Central constituency since 2014, with Jalgaon-based special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam (71) puts a question mark on the political legacy of former Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and her father, the late Pramod Mahajan.
The Central Election Committee of the BJP on Saturday released the name of Nikam as the party’s candidate for Mumbai North Central constituency, which is located in the heart of the country’s financial capital. It was here at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) that the controversial bullet train project and International Financial Services Centre were planned — both incomplete.
Nikam has to his credit several high-profile trials, including that of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab. “I’m grateful to the BJP leadership. I know it’s a huge responsibility. I will not let them down. I will work and serve the nation,” Nikam said.
The BJP’s unusually long search for a suitable candidate for Mumbai North Central left many within the party bemused. “The surveys were not very favourable for Poonam, the sitting MP. Anti-incumbency could have weighed on the leadership’s mind heavily while dropping her,” a party source said.
From what emerges, the party was in two minds. While one faction believed Mumbai-based Poonam would fit the criteria, those unsure pushed for change. “The Mumbai and Maharashtra BJP units had recommended the candidature of Poonam. But then the final call is taken after deliberations at the CEC,” Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said.
The party’s decision to opt for an outsider, Ujjwal Nikam, came 48 hours after the Congress fielded its Mumbai chief Varsha Gaikwad as the MVA candidate from Mumbai North Central.
“With clearly two strong views emerging for and against sitting MP Poonam Mahajan, the party was left with no choice but to scout for a new face in the constituency,” a BJP insider said.
Another challenge for the party was to ensure it fielded a Marathi candidate to strike a balance, having fielded non-Marathis — Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North) and Mihir Kotecha (Mumbai East).
Mumbai has six Lok Sabha seats — Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North East and Mumbai South.
The BJP has now announced candidates in three seats — Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), Mihir Kotecha (Mumbai North East) and Ujjwal Nikam (Mumbai North Central). The Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced Rahul Shewale for Mumbai South Central. It is yet to announce candidates for Mumbai South and Mumbai North West.
In 2014, when Poonam, the daughter of late BJP leader and Union minister Pramod Mahajan, a Brahmin, was handpicked by the state BJP to contest Parliamentary polls, it came as a surprise to many within the organisation.
Poonam, 31 years old then, received the news with both excitement and nervousness. Even at the fag end of her campaign, talking to The Indian Express, she had remarked, “My fingers are crossed. I’m really nervous.”
Buoyed by the victory in 2014 when the Modi wave swept across Maharashtra with the BJP-Shiv Sena winning 41 out of 48 seats, Poonam emerged as a high-profile MP. Known for her outspokenness and ability to speak in the Lok Sabha both in English and Hindi, she was also entrusted with the responsibility to lead the BJP’s national youth wing.
In Poonam, the BJP saw an opportunity to connect with Generation Next. Images of her in T shirts and trousers pillion-riding, holding the party flag during campaigning was a clear departure from the past.
At the BKC poll rally where Modi took centrestage, it was Poonam who unabashedly clicked the selfie displaying neither hesitancy nor fear. The smile from Modi reassured she had done nothing wrong.
The mother of two children, Poonam had no reason to believe she was out of reckoning this time. Even before the 2024 polls were announced, she had started wardwise visits in her constituency as part of the outreach campaign.
A close aide of Poonam requesting anonymity said, “She was given the impression she would be the candidate. But when her name did not feature in the second list it raised doubts. Yet, she continued with her work.”
According to a state BJP general secretary, “The BJP had in mind Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar, MLA from Bandra (West), as the frontrunner for Mumbai North Centre seat. The central leadership also spoke to Shelar…”
The BJP explored many options before settling for Nikam, who belongs to the Maratha community. There were serious attempts to get former Congress MP Priya Dutt into the BJP or Shiv Sena led by Shinde. A former Congress turned BJP leader in Mumbai was given the task of mediation. But Dutt refused to join the Mahayuti.
With a mixed population including a sizeable Christian and Muslim population, the Mumbai North Central seat has always posed a challenge to the BJP. In the past, it also elicited support from its then alliance partner, the undivided Shiv Sena, which controlled the Marathi vote bank.
Poonam won from Mumbai North Central twice in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In both these elections she defeated Dutt, daughter of veteran actor turned politician, Congress leader Sunil Dutt, comfortably. In 2019, the BJP polled 4.86 lakh vote (53.97%) against Congress’ 3.57 lakh (39.55 %).
The Mumbai North Central encompasses six assembly segments: Vile Parle — Parag Alvani (BJP); Chandivali — Dilip Lande (Shiv Sena); Kurla — Mahesh Kudalkar (Shiv Sena); Kalina —Sanjay Potnis (Shiv Sena-UBT); Bandra East — Zeeshan Siddiqe (Congress); and Bandra West — Ashish Shelar (BJP).
To strengthen its electoral base, the BJP got senior Congress leader Baba Siddique three months ago. It is expecting Siddique would help them dent the Congress votebase in the seat. State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “Ujjwal Nikam is popular and known for his work. He is not confined to any particular area or region.”
To counter rival Congress, which is trying to turn the campaign as “insider Varsha Gaikwad versus outsider Ujjwal Nikam”, the BJP said, “Nikam took up trial of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and delivered justice to people after the Mumbai terror attack 2008.”
