Amravati Lok Sabha elections: BJP's Navneet Rana to face Congress candidate Balwant Baswant Wankhede

Lok Sabha electoins 2024 — Image Source : INDIA TV Amravati Lok Sabha electoins

Maharashtra's Amravati is one of the hot seats in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 as Navneet Rana, who remains in the news for her fierce speeches, is contesting from the constituency. Rana, an Independent sitting MP from Amravati recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and filed nominations on the saffron party ticket. There is a direct fight between Rana and MVA candidate and Congress leader Balwant Baswant Wankhede. The regional small parties - Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Republican Sena and Prahar Janshakti Party are attempting to make the poll fight a multi-cornered.

Rana had won the Amravati seat in 2019 as an Independent backed by several opposition parties.

BR Ambedkar's grandson Anandraj also in fray

BR Ambedkar's grandson and Republican Sena leader Anandraj Ambedkar is also in the fray from Amravati Lok Sabha constituency. He has sought the support of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM making the contest triangular.

Amravati MP Navneet Rana joins BJP

Rana joined the BJP in Nagpur along with her supporters and in the presence of senior party leaders from Amravati, Nagpur, Wardha and other places. Her husband Ravi Rana, an MLA, was also present when she joined the BJP.

Rana's political journey

Actor-turned-politician Rana first contested from Amravati on an NCP ticket in 2014 and was defeated by Shiv Sena's Anandrao Adsul. In 2019, she contested the seat as an Independent supported by NCP and defeated Adsul. However, after 2019, Rana started supporting the BJP.

Relief for Rana in caste case

The Supreme Court on April 4 restored the scheduled caste certificate of Rana, holding that the Bombay High Court overstepped while re-appreciating the findings of the scrutiny committee, in a huge last-miniute relief that cleared the decks for her to contest the Maharashtra seat reserved for dalits on a BJP ticket.