BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said the party was willing to consider the candidature of sitting independent Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana from Amravati constituency if she was willing to contest on BJP’s party symbol. Navneet Rana contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Amravati as an independent candidate against then undivided Shiv Sena's leader Anandrao Adsul. Navneet won the elections. Navneet Rana is married to Ravi Rana, who represents Badnera Assembly constituency in Amravati district. Post elections, the Rana couple had supported the NDA both at Centre and Maharashtra. Both husband and wife have contested the 2019 polls as independent candidates. A local BJP leader from Amravati said, “If the central and state top leadership has taken a decision to field Navneet Rana, we will have no other option but to support and work. If we had the choice, we would have preferred a candidate from BJP. But then central and state top leaders may have factored in many aspects including winnability and acceptability within three parties’ coalition --Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), BJP and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).
