Navneet Rana’s battle for Amravati: controversies and confidence!

At the GangaSavitri bungalow in Amravatis Rajapeth area the daily hustle begins early as people gather for the MPs election campaign Navneet Rana the current MP and BJP candidate meets supporters and gets ready for the day Amravati is gearing up for Lok Sabha elections on April 26Navneet Ravi Rana also known as Navneet Kaur Rana originally from Mumbai comes from a military family After her schooling she became a model and appeared in music videos and films Her political journey started after marrying Ravi Rana an Independent MLA in 2011Although she lost her first election in 2014 with the NCP she won as an independent candidate backed by Congress and NCP in the 2019 elections Despite her success her career faced challenges In 2021 she was fined for a fake caste certificate but defended herself stating the Supreme Courts recent decision supported herIn 2022 Rana and her husband were arrested for insisting on reciting the Hanuman Chalisa in front of the then Maharashtra CMs residence Despite facing opposition Rana is determined to win again in the upcoming elections focusing on her work and vision rather than the obstaclesThough facing criticism Rana remains confident expressing her vision for the constituency and challenging her rivals to confront her directly in an interview with middayWhat are the issues you are focusing on currently and what will be your priority if you are elected for a second termIn the past five years Ive focused on completing announced projects like the airport and rail wagon repair workshop Were upgrading Badnera and Amravati railway stations and building South Asias largest skywalk I established the Institute of Mass Communication and initiated a medical college Looking ahead the establishment of a textile park is a key priority for my second term This initiative holds immense potential to create job opportunities for around two to three lakh people in the region Furthermore we are exploring the possibility of upgrading and reintroducing the 110yearold Britishera narrowgauge Shankuntala train as a broad gauge serviceYour rivals claim that there is strong antiincumbency sentiment and resentment against you in the constituency What is your response to thisOpposition often tries to undermine the incumbent but my nomination by the BJP endorsed by Prime Minister Modi reflects the support I have in the constituency The BJP operates based on merit and my nomination shows their trust in me Actions speak louder than words Ill let my work speak for itselfMany have opposed your candidacy from the constituency including MLA Bacchu Kadu who despite being part of Mahayuti has fielded a candidate against you How do you anticipate this multicornered fight unfoldingIs Bacchu Kadu still part of Mahayuti or has he joined Maha Vikas Aghadi This is a question I have I doubt his allegiance to Mahayuti Ive heard that he has pledged support to 11 Congress candidates including those in Ramtek and Akola Its essential to stand firmly with ones family why pretend to remain within the family while supporting rivals Apart from Kadu everyone else has expressed support for me and agreed to collaborate Some prioritise loyalty to their family while others seek to safeguard their Vidhan Sabha seats Both strategies seem to be at playYour opponents have launched direct attacks against you during their rallies and public meetings often referring to you as an outsider How do you plan to address thisMy opponents resort to baseless attacks because they lack substantive issues to criticize me on Recently Sanjay Raut made disparaging remarks about me even threatening me to bury me 20 feet deep However wherever one comes to Amravati the focus is on Navneet Rana Itna dam hai Uddhav Thackeray ke seene mein If Uddhav Thackeray had so much guts why didnt they contest from this seat This is my question to him For the past five terms only Shiv Sena has represented this constituency I won only in the last election Instead of discussing the progress and work being done they resort to senseless attacksA video of you claiming there was no Modi wave recently went viral prompting criticism from your rivals and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi What is your response to thisThe viral video was doctored and misconstrued I never denied the existence of a Modi wave In fact wherever I campaign I witness strong support for Modi Even during the Ram Navami rally in Amravati youngsters enthusiastically chanted Modis name and the slogan Abki baar 400 paar This indicates a clear Modi wave across the nationPrime Minister Modi has called for ldquoAbki baar 400 paarrdquo How achievable do you think this is as one of the candidates in the frayI am confident that we will not only achieve but surpass the target of ldquo400 paarrdquo Having observed the sentiments of the people in recent elections I can attest that claims of no Modi wave or dissatisfaction with the current government are mere fake narratives created by the Opposition On the ground people warmly receive us and express their fondness for Modiji These silent supporters may not vocalize their support by waving flags or shouting slogans but will decisively vote for the BJP and Modiji2011Year Navneet married Ravi