BJP wants Navneet Rana to contest on Lotus

Maharashtra independent MP Navneet Rana is expected to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as a BJP candidate, despite opposition from the ruling alliance.

Mumbai: The sole independent MP from Maharashtra Navneet Rana is expected to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate. Rana who has been a vocal advocate of BJP’s Hindutva voice in Maharashtra is helping the party to corner its nemesis, Uddhav Thackeray.

New Delhi, India - May 11, 2022: Independent MP Navneet Rana during a press conference in New in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Photo by Amal KS / Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

BJP’s offer to Rana is being met with opposition from within the ruling alliance.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said that they were keen on contesting Rana as BJP candidate. “She has been part of the NDA and we would like her to contest as our candidate on our symbol lotus. Though the final decision will be taken by our parliamentary board, we would like Rana to be BJP candidate and for it, we are trying to convince our ruling partners too,” he said in Amravati.

Rana won the 2019-LS polls as an independent with support from NCP in 2019. After winning the polls, the MP immediately sided with the BJP and has been advocating the Hindutva ideology since then. She hogged the limelight by announcing to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in April last year. She, along with her MLA husband Ravi Rana were arrested for inciting people and making provocative statements.

The MP was also in the news for her fake caste certificate submitted to be qualified to contest from the constituency reserved for the scheduled caste. In June last year, the Bombay High Court cancelled the caste certificate terming it wrong. The SC later stayed with the HC order.

Change in the political ideology and stand however may make it difficult for her in the election. “Her constituency has more than 40,000 Muslim voters who would not support her if she contests as the BJP candidate. Secondly, she is facing opposition from within BJP and even other two ruling parties Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction.) She had defeated Anandrao Adsul (by 37000 votes) who is now with the Shinde camp, while local NCP MLA Sulabha Khodake (Ajit Pawar camp) too is against her. They are likely to oppose Rana as an alliance partner,” said a BJP leader.