Mumbai, June 21: The Maharashtra government’s decision to reappoint Ujjwal Nikam as public prosecutor has sparked a significant controversy. Nikam, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, is set to resume his role as public prosecutor, a move heavily criticized by the Opposition Congress.
Nikam, who was defeated by Congress candidate Varsha Gaikwad in the Mumbai North-Central constituency, had previously resigned from 29 cases, including eight high-profile cases in Mumbai, upon his nomination for the election. Gaikwad won the seat with 445,545 votes against Nikam’s 429,031 votes, becoming the sole Congress MP from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole condemned the reappointment, stating, “The BJP-led government has set a wrong precedent by appointing a political party worker to the important post of public prosecutor.”
He urged the Shinde administration to reconsider its decision, arguing that it undermines the impartiality of the judicial process.
Critics argue that appointing a recently defeated political candidate to a significant judicial role could politicize the judicial process and erode public trust. They view the move as a blatant conflict of interest and a breach of ethical norms, raising concerns about the potential influence of political affiliations on judicial appointments in Maharashtra.
The reappointment of Nikam, who had resigned from his cases in May, now means he will once again represent the Maharashtra government in all 29 cases. This decision is likely to fuel further debates on the influence of political affiliations on judicial appointments and pressure the state to justify its controversial choice.
