A political storm has erupted within the Maharashtra BJP following the Amravati Municipal Corporation (AMC) election results, with a group of party candidates openly revolting against former MP Navneet Rana. In an unprecedented move, 22 BJP candidates have written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding strict action against Rana, accusing her of working against the party during the civic polls.

The rebellion comes in the wake of BJP’s sharp decline in Amravati, where the party’s tally dropped significantly compared to the previous election. The poor performance has triggered serious allegations of internal sabotage, with disgruntled leaders claiming that the party’s defeat was not accidental but engineered due to parallel campaigning.

According to BJP candidates, Navneet Rana, despite the collapse of the pre-poll understanding between the BJP and the Yuva Swabhiman Party (YSP), allegedly campaigned aggressively against official BJP nominees. They claim she publicly undermined BJP candidates by projecting YSP as the “true representative” of the BJP’s ideology, creating confusion among voters and damaging the party’s prospects.

The AMC election results reflected a fractured mandate. The BJP managed to secure only 25 seats in the 87-member civic body, a steep fall from its earlier strength. Meanwhile, the Yuva Swabhiman Party, led by MLA Ravi Rana, recorded a significant jump, emerging as a strong local force. Congress, AIMIM, and the NCP also improved their presence, further squeezing the BJP’s space in the corporation.

The fallout has exposed deep fault lines within the Vidarbha unit of the BJP, particularly in Amravati, where local leaders feel betrayed by former allies. Party insiders say the anger is not limited to electoral losses but stems from the perception that the BJP’s organisational discipline was openly challenged during the campaign.

Notably, the civic polls across Maharashtra were held on January 15, with results announced the following day. Amravati witnessed an intense multi-cornered contest, with over 600 candidates in the fray from major parties and independents, making the electoral battle one of the most crowded in recent years.

Navneet Rana has not yet issued a public response to the accusations, but the controversy has put the BJP leadership in a tight spot. With internal dissent spilling into the open, the episode is being seen as a warning sign for the party as it tries to consolidate its position ahead of future elections in the state.