5 Facts On Ujjwal Nikam, BJP's Candidate Who Replaced Poonam Mahajan

The BJP has chosen lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as its candidate for the Mumbai North Central constituency, replacing Poonam Mahajan. Mr Nikam is renowned for his role as the prosecutor in the 26/11 attacks case. 

The Mumbai North Central constituency in Maharashtra consists of six assembly segments and will go to polls on May 20. Votes will be counted on June 4. 

Here are some facts on Ujjwal Nikam

1. Ujjwal Nikam was born in Maharashtra's Jalgaon on March 30, 1953, to lawyer Deorao Madhavrao Nikam and Vimaladevi, a well-known freedom fighter. Mr Nikam has a Bachelor of Science degree and got his law degree from SS Maniyar Law College in Jalgaon.

2. Ujjwal Nikam has been a key figure in a few famous court cases. In 1991, he played a major role in convicting Ravinder Singh for the Kalyan bomb blast. His career took a major turn in 1993 when he became the public prosecutor for the Mumbai serial blasts case. He worked for over 14 years in the special court established under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. 

3. Ujjwal Nikam was the public prosecutor in the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught after the 26/11 attacks. He argued successfully for Kasab's death penalty.  

4. Ujjwal Nikam's legal career also includes several high-profile assignments such as the murder case of Bollywood producer and T series founder Gulshan Kumar in 1997. In 2006, Mr Nikam was also prosecutor in the murder case of Pramod Mahajan who was shot dead by his brother Pravin in April 2006 following a dispute.

5. Mr Nikam was provided Z-plus security after 2009, when he became a prosecutor in the 26/11 case. In 2016, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award.