In a significant political move, Navneet Rana, the incumbent Member of Parliament representing Amravati, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Nagpur, late on Wednesday evening. The event took place at the residence of the party's state unit chief, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, in Nagpur, in the presence of a multitude of supporters and senior party leaders hailing from Amravati, Nagpur, Wardha, and other regions. Accompanied by her husband, MLA Ravi Rana, Navneet Rana embraced the BJP, marking a pivotal transition in her political journey.
The Central Election Committee of the BJP had earlier declared Navneet Rana as the party's designated candidate for the Amravati constituency. Bawankule disclosed that she is scheduled to submit her nomination papers on April 4, solidifying her candidacy for the upcoming elections.
Speaking at a midnight press conference held at Bawankule's residence, Navneet Rana expressed her allegiance to the progressive agenda championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the past five years, during which she ardently supported the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Rana conveyed her elation at joining the BJP fold and vowed to secure victory for the Amravati parliamentary seat, aiming to contribute to the BJP's envisioned triumph across 400 constituencies in the forthcoming general elections.
Bawankule underscored Navneet Rana's alignment with the transformative vision of PM Modi, attributing her decision to join the BJP to her commitment to the development agenda. He also criticized Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena, for his past actions, particularly his administration's role in incarcerating Navneet Rana during her tenure as chief minister of Maharashtra, citing the controversy surrounding the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.
Navneet Rana's political journey has seen various twists and turns. Initially contesting from Amravati under the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) banner in 2014, she faced defeat against Shiv Sena's Anandrao Adsul. However, in 2019, she contested independently with the support of NCP and emerged victorious against Adsul. Subsequently, Rana shifted her allegiance towards the BJP.
Recent legal battles have also shadowed Navneet Rana's political career. Last month, the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on her plea challenging the Bombay High Court's decision to revoke her caste certificate. The high court had invalidated her 'Mochi' caste certificate, citing fraudulent acquisition through fabricated documents, and imposed a hefty fine of Rs 2 lakh on the Amravati MP.
