Late on Wednesday night, Navneet Rana, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) representing Amravati, made a significant political move by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Nagpur. The event took place at the residence of Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the state unit chief of the BJP. Rana was accompanied by her supporters, and the occasion witnessed the presence of senior party leaders from various regions including Amravati, Nagpur, and Wardha. Her husband, Ravi Rana, who is also a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), was also present during her induction into the BJP fold.
The Central Election Committee of the BJP had earlier announced Navneet Rana’s candidature for the Amravati parliamentary seat. Chandrashekhar Bawankule confirmed that Rana would file her nomination for the upcoming elections on April 4.
In her address to the media gathered at Bawankule’s residence, Navneet Rana expressed her allegiance to the development agenda spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the past five years. She conveyed her joy at joining the BJP and pledged to ensure victory for the party in the Amravati constituency, aiming to contribute to the target of securing 400 seats in the general elections.
Chandrashekhar Bawankule highlighted Rana’s decision to align with the BJP as a testament to her support for Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a developed India. He also criticized Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena, for his previous actions during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, particularly referring to the legal issues faced by Rana.
Navneet Rana’s political journey has seen various twists and turns. Initially contesting from Amravati on a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket in 2014, she faced defeat against Shiv Sena’s Anandrao Adsul. However, in 2019, Rana contested as an Independent candidate supported by the NCP and emerged victorious, defeating Adsul.
Following her victory in 2019, Navneet Rana began to lend her support to the BJP. This move comes amidst ongoing legal battles, with the Supreme Court recently reserving its verdict on Rana’s plea challenging the Bombay High Court’s decision to cancel her caste certificate. The High Court had ruled that her ‘Mochi’ caste certificate was obtained through fraudulent means, imposing a fine of ₹2 lakh on the MP.
Navneet Rana’s decision to join the BJP sets the stage for an intriguing political scenario in the Amravati constituency, with the upcoming elections poised to be a closely watched affair.
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