Politics a new challenge, confident of victory: Lawyer-turned-politician Ujjwal Nikam

Renowned lawyer and the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Mumbai North Central seat Ujjwal Nikam on Thursday said politics is a new challenge and asserted he accepted all kinds of challenges while helming criminal cases. In an interview to PTI, Nikam (71) said he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party because the stellar work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had enhanced the country's standing in the world. "Politics is a new challenge and I will win the confidence of the common man," he said.

Emphasising he would work to implement the BJP's manifesto, Nikam said he wanted to participate in the process of making laws in Parliament so that the common's man faith in democracy is strengthened. "I would like to amend extradition laws so that more and more criminals are brought to book. I will float what ideas I have and if the party approves, I will work on them," said Nikam, who appeared as special public prosecutor in some of the country's most high profile cases, including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, and the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist apprehended after the 26/11 raid.

Speaking about his Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, Nikam said the party chose it for him and added he was trying to learn about issues of its residents and looking for ways to ensure it is solved by the governments in the state and at the Centre. Queried about his opponent Varsha Gaikwad, who is sitting MLA and the opposition party's Mumbai unit chief, Nikam said she was a senior politician. "She is carrying forward her political agenda, while I will do the same for my party. I am confident I will be successful," Nikam asserted.