Navneet Rana Secures Rajya Sabha Seat, Opts Out of State Assembly Race

Navneet Rana, wife of Independent MLA Ravi Rana, will not contest the Maharashtra assembly polls as she has been assured a Rajya Sabha seat by BJP. Despite her 2024 Lok Sabha defeat, she will play a pivotal role in supporting BJP's candidate in the upcoming state elections.

Ravi Rana, the Independent MLA from Badnera in Amravati district, announced on Friday that his wife, Navneet Rana, will not be participating in the Maharashtra assembly polls. The decision follows the Bharatiya Janata Party's assurance of a Rajya Sabha membership for her.

Speaking to reporters, Rana highlighted his wife's past role as a Lok Sabha MP from Amravati and her upcoming responsibility in ensuring the BJP candidate's victory in the state elections, anticipated for next month. The current Maharashtra assembly's term is set to end on November 26.

"I believe Navneet Rana will refrain from contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections. Prominent BJP leaders, including Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, have consistently assured her Rajya Sabha membership, which I consider suitable," he stated. Despite her 2024 Lok Sabha defeat to Congress' Balwant Wankhade, Navneet, who joined BJP in 2024 after her 2019 independent victory, is expected to be a key asset in supporting the party's state election campaign.

(With inputs from agencies.)