Shinde Sena leader opposes BJP's Amravati pick Navneet Rana

Senior Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Anandrao Adsul on Thursday opposed Navneet Rana's candidature from the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra and said she was getting into the "well of death (maut ka kuan)".

"Navneet Rana does not know, but she is getting into 'maut ka kuan'. Even BJP people from Amravati are opposing her candidature and there is stiff opposition to her. The only reason that she has been chosen by the BJP is because someone in their top leadership made it their prestige issue," Adsul said.

He also pointed out that the decision to field Navneet Rana was not taken by the grand alliance but by the BJP.

His comments came after the BJP on Wednesday fielded independent Lok Sabha member Navneet Rana as its candidate from the Amravati parliamentary seat. Navneet Rana arrived in Mumbai to meet BJP leaders after joining the national party.

Speaking about the opposition from inside the Mahayuti with senior leaders like Adsul and Prahar Janshakti Party leader Bachhu Kadu, Navneet Rana said, "Gadho ki koi pehchan aur koi counting nahi hoti. Maidan me jab ghoda daudta hai to usika virodh hota hai. (Donkeys have no identity, and they are not counted. When horses run on the ground, there is opposition). People who are talented and have worked for normal people and women will face opposition. Even Modi ji faced it and such opposition has always existed in politics. But as women, we know how to handle it."

Navneet Rana had defeated Adsul from Amravati in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Adsul represented the Amravati constituency between 2009 and 2019. Adsul had alleged that Rana produced a fake caste certificate to contest in Amravati, which is a reserved constituency.

The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court, while the Bombay High Court has held that Rana's certificate was fake.

On Thursday, Adsul stressed that the Supreme Court decision in Rana's caste certificate issue would go against her.

Rana came into the limelight after her stiff opposition to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray between 2019 and 2022. She and her husband Ravi Rana insisted on reading Hanuman Chalisa outside Thackeray's residence, for which the couple was arrested and sent to jail.

"Hanuman ji has always blessed everyone. Look what happened to the family of those who opposed our Hanuman Chalisa," Navneet Rana had said.