Ravi Rana
{{short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ravi Rana
| image = Ravi Rana MLA (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Rana in 2019
| birth_name = Ravi Gangadhar Rana
| birth_date = 28 April 1980
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| constituency = Badnera
| office = Member of Legislative Assembly, Maharashtra
| term_start = 2009
| term_end =
| predecessor = Sulbha Sanjay Khodke
| successor =
| nationality = Indian
| party = Rashtriya Yuva Swabhiman Party
| spouse = Navneet Kaur Rana
| alma_mater = Amravati College (B.Com.), Maharashtra
}}
Ravi Gangadhar Rana{{cite web |title=Member's Profile = Navneet Rana |url=http://164.100.47.194/Loksabha/Members/MemberBioprofile.aspx?mpsno=5191 |website=Lok Sabha |access-date=19 February 2022}} is an Indian independent politician, a 4th time MLA presently representing the Badnera (Vidhan Sabha constituency) in Amravati District of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in its 13th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/assembly-elections-2015/story/maharashtra-assembly-poll-results-bjp-shiv-sena-ncp-congress-223847-2014-10-19|title=Results of Maharashtra Assembly polls 2014 |work=India Today|accessdate=3 November 2014}}{{cite news |date=26 October 2019 |title=Independents to watch out for in Maharashtra: 8 BJP-Sena rebels, 1 maverick |url=https://indianexpress.com/elections/independents-to-watch-out-for-in-maharashtra-8-bjp-sena-rebels-1-maverick-6088548/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101113438/https://indianexpress.com/elections/independents-to-watch-out-for-in-maharashtra-8-bjp-sena-rebels-1-maverick-6088548/ |archivedate=1 January 2025 |accessdate=1 January 2025 |publisher=The Indian Express |language=en}}
Life and career
Rana hails from Shankarnagar, Amravati and was born to Gangadhar Narayan Rana. He completed his SSC in 1996 and HSC in 1998 from Amravati Board. He is a graduate with bachelor of commerce degree in 2000 from Amravati College.{{cite web |title=Ravi Rana(Independent(IND)):Constituency- BADNERA(AMARAVATI) - Affidavit Information of Candidate |url=https://myneta.info/maharashtra2014/candidate.php?candidate_id=3287 |website=myneta.info |access-date=23 March 2021}}{{cite web |title=Ravi Rana(Independent(IND)):Constituency- BADNERA(AMARAVATI) - Affidavit Information of Candidate |url=https://myneta.info/maharashtra2019/candidate.php?candidate_id=10551 |website=myneta.info |access-date=23 March 2021}}
He married former Telugu actress Navneet Kaur in a mass marriage ceremony. This event took place on 3 February 2011 in the presence of many political leaders and VIPs. The then Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan and Baba Ramdev, remained present to bless the newly wedded couple in the same event. Navneet later went on to win the elections to become a Member of Parliament.
In 2019 the elections for the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha, he defeated Shiv Sena candidate Priti Sanjay Band with a margin of 15541 votes and became MLA for the third time in a row. After that, Rana pledged to support the Bharatiya Janata Party unconditionally.{{Cite news|last=ANI|date=24 November 2019|title=Fadnavis govt has support of 175 MLAs, it will increase: MLA Ravi Rana|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/fadnavis-govt-has-support-of-175-mlas-it-will-increase-mla-ravi-rana-119112400698_1.html|access-date=5 April 2021}}
Controversy
In 2011, he did an indefinite fast in central jail for farmers to get fair price for their products.{{cite news |last1=Maitra |first1=Pradip Kumar |title=State tries to shift MLA Rana from jail to hospital |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/state-tries-to-shift-mla-rana-from-jail-to-hospital/story-iemHww3bvnqThenhDmrWGL_amp.html |access-date=8 April 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=17 November 2011 |language=en}} On 6 October 2015, Rana stopped an encroachment on a single local barber shop.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/MLA-saves-old-mans-shop-from-encroachment/articleshow/49249295.cms|title=MLA saves old man's shop from encroachment | Nagpur News|date=7 October 2015|work=The Times of India|accessdate=7 March 2020}}
In April 2020, the Maharashtra police invoked IPC section 188, that is disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, against [https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hanuman-chalisa-row-mla-ravi-rana-backs-off-says-won-t-protest-citing-pm-visit-101650707098811.html Rana] and his aides when they broke the law; removed barricades to reach Irwin Square for paying tributes to B R Ambedkar amid a nationwide punctuated COVID-19 lockdown by the central government.{{cite news |last1=PTI |title=Maharashtra MLA Pays Tribute To BR Ambedkar Amid Lockdown, Charged |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-maharashtra-mla-ravi-rana-pays-tribute-to-br-ambedkar-amid-lockdown-charged-2211901 |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=NDTV |date=15 April 2020}} In April 2022, Rana and his wife Navneet were arrested by Mumbai police following their insistence to recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of Matoshree the residence of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Later they were sent to 14 days of judicial custody on the orders of local magistrate.{{Cite web |last=The Mint Scoop |date=2024-08-14 |title=Who is Ravi Rana {{!}} Controversial Figure {{!}} Indian Independent Politician |url=https://www.themintscoop.com/biography/who-is-ravi-rana |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.themintscoop.com |language=en}} They were granted bail in Hanuman chalisa row on a bond of ₹50,000 and directed not to speak to the media about the case on 4 May 2022.[https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/navneet-ravi-rana-get-bail-in-hanuman-chalisa-row/article65380863.ece] Rana sparked controversy by stating that the Rs 1,500 monthly aid would be withdrawn if beneficiaries did not vote for Maha Yuti [https://www.themintscoop.com/biography/who-is-ravi-rana