Ujjwal Nikam, BJP’s Mumbai North Central candidate, on why he joined politics

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who was announced as the BJP candidate from the Mumbai North Central constituency today, said that he decided to join politics after observing the nation's transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nikam expressed his desire to contribute more to the nation.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today, he commended PM Modi for his measures against terrorism and for ensuring the safety and security of the country and said he believes the "time has come" for him to "do more for the country".

"I was far away from politics. But seeing how the nation has transformed after 2014, I started observing minutely the image India has built globally, and for this, PM Modi and the BJP are to be credited. Their dedication towards India and its people, I then felt that the time is right for me to do something more for the country," he said.

He praised PM Modi's stance on terrorism and the efforts he has made to strengthen the country.

"I know that you can face a lot of false allegations in politics, but I assure you that if somebody points out my mistakes, I will try to fix them. I was born on Hanuman Jayanti, and I hope that by God's grace, I won't make any mistakes," he added.

Nikam, a senior special public prosecutor known for appearing in several high-profile cases, including the 26/11 attack, murder of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, and more, was named as the Mumbai North Central candidate by the BJP on Friday. The party dropped sitting MP Poonam Mahajan from the seat.

Nikam will be facing Congress's Varsha Gaikwad in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 20.