The nomination came two days after the Congress made Varsha Gaikwad, a four-time MLA and former minister, its candidate
Ujjwal Nikam. Pic/Sameer Markande
Immediately after announcing criminal lawyer Ujjwal Nikam’s nomination from Mumbai North Central, the BJP leadership made a narrative public. The narrative goes beyond the constituency limits. City BJP president Ashish Shelar, who didn’t want to contest Lok Sabha elections from here, said it was time the ‘nationalist Mumbai warrior’ was elected unopposed, because of special public prosecutor Nikam’s legal success against terror acts that struck the city multiple times. “I request all political parties to set aside political differences [to elect Nikam unopposed] to send a good message to the Mumbaikars,” said Shelar on ‘X’, notwithstanding the fact that the BJP named the lawyer 40 days after its other city candidates were announced. The nomination came two days after the Congress made Varsha Gaikwad, a four-time MLA and former minister, its candidate.
Shelar’s statements made BJP’s idea crystal clear. The party connected PM Modi’s anti-terror policies with Nikam’s achievements in the 1993 serial blasts, 26/11 terror attacks and other cases. “The BJP has honoured the lawyer who had ensured the hanging of Yakub Memon and Ajmal Kasab,” said Shelar. PM Modi’s anti-terror stance and Nikam’s achievements will be the talking point in the campaign of a candidate having no experience of electoral trials and tribulations.
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On the other hand, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) will be experimenting with the Bhimshakti-Shivshakti combination, not just in North Central where the number of Muslim voters is highest in the city and the Marathis even more in strength, but also in adjoining South Central which has a mix of all. Gaikwad is a Dalit MLA from Dharavi with good influence in South Central’s Dalit pockets. Sena will reciprocate in North Central. Uddhav Thackeray has promised Gaikwad all brotherly help. But she will have to win over upset Muslim leaders, because the Congress has denied the community candidature. Intra-party fights will be her bane. Congress did not field Naseem Khan despite clearing him two months ago, because it feared polarisation all over the city and MMR.
Going by the script that Nikam’s campaign has unravelled since Saturday evening, the BJP is out to prove the Congress’s concerns right, despite no Muslim Congress nominee in the fray.
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