The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday announced the name of renowned lawyer Ujjwal Nikam for Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat.

Nikam, who was special public prosecutor in several high profile cases like the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught after the 26/11 attacks, will take on Congress' Mumbai unit chief and Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad.

Nikam has replaced two-time MP Poonam Mahajan, who is the daughter of the late BJP stalwart Pramod Mahajan.

Mahajan, the daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, was elected from the constituency in 2014 and 2019.

She is also a former president of the BJP's youth wing.

Party leaders have claimed that the decision to drop her was based on organisational feedback.

Though indications had been there for some time that Mahajan would be dropped, it was the party's search for her replacement that took time, sources said.

Voting in Mumbai is scheduled to be held on May 20 in the fifth phase of the polls.

The BJP also named eight more candidates for the Odisha assembly polls, which will be held alongside the general elections.

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