Nikam, 71, is a household name in legal circles and was government lawyer in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case. Nikam also handled the 2006 murder of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan – Poonam Mahajan's late father – among other things. Poonam, 43, was elected from the seat during the 2014 and 2019 elections. She is also a former president of the BJP's youth wing.
With Nikam's candidature, the saffron party has dropped all its MPs from Mumbai for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The two other MPs who dropped out are Manoj Kotak from Mumbai North East and Gopal Shetty from Mumbai North. While Kotak is a first-time MP, Shetty is a party veteran and two-time MP.
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But why was Poonam Mahajan, a two-term MP, dropped?
Surveys were not in Poonam's favor
The removal of sitting MPs is perhaps in line with the BJP's pan-India strategy of fielding new faces following its target of 370 seats for the seven-phase general elections. Now that two phases are over, five more phases of elections will take place. The results will be announced on June 4.
In Poonam Mahajan's case, speculations suggested that she would not be called up this time even before the official announcement on April 27. Many say the party's internal surveys were not in favor of her candidacy, mainly because of her anti-incumbency position during her last two terms. as a Member of Parliament.
Some reports suggested that the party had doubts about Poonam Mahajan, hence the delayed announcement. One faction, sources said, wanted to field Poonam; the other faction was against it.
“The BJP units in Mumbai and Maharashtra had recommended Poonam's candidature. But then the final decision will be taken after deliberations in the Central Election Committee (CEC),” said Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar. Indian Express.
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Poonam Mahajan won the Mumbai North Central twice in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She defeated Priya Dutt, daughter of veteran actor-turned-politician and Congress leader Sunil Dutt, in both elections by a wide margin.
Ujwal Nikam, a Maratha face
The Brahmin's official announcement opposite Poonam's replacement Ujjwal Nikam came 48 hours after the Congress fielded its Mumbai chief Varsha Gaikwad as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate from Mumbai North Central.
The Mumbai North Central seat will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
Some reports suggest that the party fielded Nikam, a Marathi candidate, to strike a balance. It has already fielded two non-Marathis – Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North) and Mihir Kotecha (Mumbai East) from two of the six seats in Mumbai.
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With Nikam, the BJP has announced candidates for three seats in Mumbai. 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
After two victories in the last two elections, Poonam became a high-profile next-generation BJP politician in Maharashtra. Often praised for her ability to speak in both English and Hindi in the Lok Sabha, Poonam was asked to head the BJP's national youth wing in 2016.
Poonam's replacement also raises questions about the political legacy of late father Pramod Mahajan, former Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Soon after Nikam's candidature, Poonam thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving her the opportunity to 'hold' the seat of MP for a decade.
“My role model, my father, late Pramod Mahajan Ji, showed me the path of 'First the nation, then us'. I pray to God that I can follow the same path all my life,” she said in a post on X.
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Published: Apr 28, 2024 12:52 IST