Navneet Kaur Rana: BJP’s Controversial Pick In Amravati (image-facebook/Navneet Ravi Rana)

Navneet Kaur Rana’s candidacy in communally sensitive Amravati had stirred discontent within the party and its allies. Actor-turned-independent MP Navneet Kaur Rana’s role has come as a new twist to the political arena in Maharashtra.

Being a familiar face in politics, the contest was an easy ride for the candidate however, this time, Navneet chose to fight under the banner of the Bharatiya Janata party. Despite her being the BJP candidate, she has to face familiar challenges amidst unfamiliar dynamics with the absence of the BJP workers during the campaign.

Ms Rana clinched the reserved Amravati Parliamentary seat as an independent candidate in 2019. The 38-year-old entered politics following her marriage to BJP leader Ravi Rana. Initially, she aligned with the NCP and contested the inaugural election from Amravati in 2014 but had to face defeat.

Navneet Kaur hailing from the city of Mumbai, is the daughter of an army official. After completing her schooling, she started working as a model. She has also appeared in multiple music videos.

In 2021, she was fined Rs 2 lakh by the Bombay High Court for submitting a fake ‘Mochi’ caste certificate. Ms Rana has been caught up in several allegations. In 2022, she along with her husband was arrested by the Mumbai police following their insistence to recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of ‘Matoshree’, the residence of former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Rana has always remained a controversial figure in politics. In 2014, when she contested the election on an NCP ticket, she and her husband later switched sides to extend her support to BJP. Similarly after 2019, post-election victory, the independent candidate sided with the BJP.

The Amravati seat is caught up in an ugly tussle between BJP and Shinde Sena. The Congress’ campaign is relying on the ‘son of soil versus outsider’ argument to win the seat.