The judge ruled in favor of Navneet Kaur Ra​na.

New Delhi:

BJP leader Navneet Kaur Rana’s nomination to contest Maharashtra’s Amravati Lok Sabha seat is like a direct A plot straight out of Bollywood, full of suspense, anticipation and last-minute twists of fate.

As the minutes ticked by on Thursday noon, the atmosphere at the Dussehra venue in Amravati was buzzing with anticipation. Sitting MP Navneet Kaur Rana stood in front of supporters including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a rally attended by political heavyweights. However, the fate of Ms Rana’s candidature hangs in the balance pending a crucial Supreme Court ruling in a case related to her caste certificate.

The Supreme Court is hearing a petition seeking to quash the Bombay High Court order canceling Ms Rana’s caste certificate. The High Court had previously revoked Ms Rana’s ‘mochi’ caste certificate on June 8, 2021, accusing her of using forged documents to make fraudulent purchases. In addition, the High Court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Ms Rana, claiming that the records showed that she belonged to the “Sikh religion”. – Chamar caste.

The clock struck 11:58 pm as Justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol began the much-awaited verdict. The judge ruled in favor of Ms Rana, saying the high court had wrongly interfered with the review committee’s report on her caste certificate. The court ruling has breathed new life into Ms Rana’s electoral ambitions.

This courtroom drama, which took place more than 1,100 kilometers away, unfolded with terrifying intensity, and the faces on the assembly stage changed from worry to cheer. Five minutes later, news of the Supreme Court verdict reached the Amravati stage and Mr Fadnavis immediately declared it a great victory for Ms Rana.

With the fear of disqualification fading, Ms Rana, accompanied by her supporters and BJP leaders, marched to the Returning Officer’s office and submitted her nomination papers at 1.42 pm.

“In 2019, when I contested the elections as an independent, the people of Amaravati supported me despite the political tide and when I did not do any work in the constituency, I think they were confident that their voice would Be respected.” “We were listened to in Parliament,” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

In 2019, Ms Rana won the reserved Amravati Assembly seat as an independent candidate. The 38-year-old entered politics after marrying BJP leader Ravi Rana. She initially aligned with the NCP and contested the first elections from Amravati in 2014 but faced defeat.

The 48 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra will go to polls in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20.