Over the past four years, Ravi Rana and Navneet Kaur Rana have been among the most vocal and relentless critics of Uddhav Thackeray. Their continuous attacks on the Thackeray family during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government have won them the favour and support of the BJP, which vacated its claim on the Badnera Assembly seat in the Amravati district, to back Ravi Rana, a three-time Independent MLA, in Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024.
Despite the BJP-led Mahayuti supporting Ravi, 45, who is contesting again as an Independent, the Ranas face significant opposition in their bid to retain the Badnera seat. They have incurred the wrath of both Shiv Sena (UBT) and Prahar Janshakti Party’s Bacchu Kadu, who has vowed to defeat them. As a result, Ravi’s re-election prospects are looking increasingly uphill.
The Ranas are no strangers to the spotlight. From Navneet’s film career, sharing the silver screen with southern stars like Vijayakanth and Mammootty, to their high-profile marriage encouraged by Baba Ramdev at a mass wedding, and even being arrested by the Mumbai police for planning a Hanuman chalisa recital outside Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Bandra, the couple has never been far from controversy.
What truly distinguishes the Ranas, however, is their political adaptability. Ravi Rana, the dominant political force among the couple, has represented Badnera as an Independent for three terms. His political journey began with a surprising 2009 victory against the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate, despite being an Independent. His appeal among the youth, combined with his infamous “Flex Kumar” image—due to his extensive use of flex posters—helped catapult him to prominence. Although his rivals dismissed him as a mere “poster boy”, his influence in the region only grew, as did allegations of increasing land holdings.
Navneet Rana, 38, hails from a Punjabi family and grew up in Mumbai. She entered the film industry in 2004, debuting in a Kannada film, and has worked with notable stars such as Vijayakanth, Junior NTR, and Mammootty. Fluent in seven languages, Navneet’s life took a turn when she met Baba Ramdev. Ravi, already a close associate of the yoga guru, was introduced to him during a “Yog Shivir” in Amravati. Ramdev played a pivotal role in encouraging their marriage, and in 2011, the couple wed at a mass wedding ceremony attended by over 3,000 couples.
In Amravati, the Ranas are seen as political chameleons, able to navigate party lines with remarkable flexibility thanks to their status as Independents. This political freedom has allowed them to align themselves with the ruling parties when it suited them, as seen in their ties with the BJP.
Before 2014, Ravi led protests against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, yet in the same year, Navneet managed to secure an NCP ticket to contest against sitting Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul in the Lok Sabha elections. Though she lost that election, she won in 2019, backed by the NCP-Congress alliance. However, her relationship with the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi soured when she cosied up to the BJP and began personally attacking Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, partly due to a legal case concerning her caste status and eligibility to contest from a reserved seat.
Their vocal criticism of the Thackerays endeared them to the BJP, but it has riled Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MVA, who have pledged to defeat them. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Navneet Rana was defeated, and now the MVA has set its sights on ending Ravi Rana’s political tenure in Badnera.
However, Ravi still holds hope as Navneet Rana drew over 1 lakh votes and lead of 26,763 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha election for Amravati — which she contested on a BJP ticket and lost — in the Badnera Assembly constituency represented by her husband.
The last-minute candidate change by the Shiv Sena (UBT), which gave the ticket to Sunil Kharate instead of Preeti Band, the wife of the late Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Band, has also given Ravi a hint of opportunity. Band, now contesting as an Independent with Bacchu Kadu’s backing, has substantial support in the region. Ravi, however, will also face a challenge from BJP rebel Tushar Bhartiya, who has entered the race. Despite this, the Ranas remain optimistic, hoping that the backing and support of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will Ravi sail through.
“For the development of Maharashtra, we need Devendra Fadnavis. It is crucial that he becomes the Chief Minister.” Ravi said.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held on November 20 and the votes will be counted on November 23.
What truly distinguishes the Ranas, however, is their political adaptability. (Express File) 
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