Amravati set for multi-candidate fight

The Amravati constituency renowned as a hub for cotton and soybean production was once represented by Indiarsquos first female president Pratibha Patil Today it finds itself mired in a multicandidate contest with the BJP fielding sitting MP Navneet Rana challenged by Congressrsquo Balwant Wankhede Bacchu Kaduled Prahar Janshakti Partyrsquos candidate Dinesh Boob and Dalit leader Anandaraj Ambedkar the grandson of Dr Babasaheb AmbedkarThe Amravati Lok Sabha seat has garnered significant attention and is much soughtafter by all political factions For the BJP it signifies a departure from tradition as they officially field their own candidate for the first time This decision introduces Navneet Rana an actorturnedpolitician as the BJPrsquos hopeful believed by the party to hold the potential for a breakthrough in the regionDespite potential discord within party ranks and among allies the BJP confidently announced Ranarsquos candidacy citing faith in her abilities Rana herself asserted ldquoBJP and PM Modi would not bet on the wrong person they believe in my potential I see overwhelming support from the people of Amravatirdquo However the announcement of Ranarsquos candidacy before her formal induction into the party sparked discontent amongst local BJP cadre leaders of Chief Minister Eknath Shindersquos Shiv Sena and independent MLA Bacchu KaduldquoThere is definite discontent within the BJPrsquos local cadre who feel uneasy with an outsider being fielded They express frustration at having previously worked against Rana in the constituency only to now be obligated to support and promote her However we are following the directives of our party seniors believing it to be in the partyrsquos best interestrdquo a senior BJP leader from the region told middayEven among Ranarsquos supporters there is a sense of betrayal over her decision to contest on the BJPrsquos ticket Having secured victory as an independent candidate in 2019 aligning with the BJP could potentially alienate secular voters local residents saidThe opposition to Ranarsquos candidacy among BJP allies became overt when Bacchu Kadu fielded his own candidate against her Kadu who exited the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition to support Shiv Senarsquos Eknath Shinde faction vocally opposed Ranarsquos candidacy declaring ldquoModi Chalnaar Rana nahi Modi will do Rana wonrsquotrdquo The entry of Dinesh Boob into the fray backed by Kadursquos Prahar Janshakti Party is anticipated to polarize votes disrupting the established equations for candidates from major partiesQuestioning Kadursquos allegiance to Mahayuti Rana remarked ldquoHe is still part of Mahayuti I have my doubtsrdquoAs the political atmosphere escalates the sentiments of the electorate are in a state of flux The constituencyrsquos demographics present a diverse landscape with 28 per cent comprising scheduled castes and scheduled tribes 22 per cent Marathas and Kunbis 35 per cent OBCs other than Kunbis nine per cent Muslims and three per cent open category votersTwo crucial factors are expected to sway the outcome Firstly the allegiance of the BJPrsquos core base of OBC voters remains uncertain as to whether they will throw their support behind Rana or gravitate towards one of the other two candidates Secondly in this Scheduled Caste reserved constituency the preferences of the 28 per cent of voters belonging to Dalits and Scheduled Tribes will wield considerable influenceMoreover the backing of the majority of Muslim voters who previously supported Rana will be pivotal in determining whether they will maintain their allegiance considering her alliance with the BJP this time Out of Amravatirsquos 18 lakh voters nearly two lakh hail from the Muslim community with over 50000 voters categorized as generalCurrently the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency in Vidarbha is reserved for Scheduled Castes Among its six assembly constituencies Badnera is currently represented by an independent MLA and Navneet Ranarsquos husband Ravi Rana Additionally three constituencies are held by Congress MLAs including Balwant Wankhede who is now contesting the Lok Sabha election and Sulbha Khodke wife of NCP Ajit Pawar leader Sanjay Khodke The remaining two constituencies are represented by Prahar Janshakti leaders including Bacchu Kadu himself from Achalpur2837SC and ST voters in Amravati