New Delhi: As the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 draw closer, Amravati residents are voicing frustrations over the region’s lack of infrastructure development. Voters say that despite Amravati’s legacy of producing prominent leaders like former President Pratibha Patil, development remains far from adequate.
One resident shared a personal ordeal with The New Indian, recounting an instance when he had to take his ailing mother over 120 kilometres to Wardha due to the absence of a multispecialty hospital in Amravati and nearby Badnera. “For a city with such a strong political history, the development is far behind what it should be,” he said, urging authorities to focus on critical healthcare facilities for local benefit.
Local citizens are urging the government to prioritize essential services and infrastructure improvements.
Following these insights, The New Indian conducted an exclusive interview with Ravi Rana, the husband of former MP Navneet Rana and leader of the Yuva Swabhiman Party, which aligns with the Mahayuti alliance. Although Navneet Rana lost in the last Lok Sabha elections, her husband remains an influential figure in Amravati’s political scene, pledging progress and development for the city.
When questioned on the lack of a multispecialty hospital despite his party’s 15-year influence in the region, Rana assured that addressing healthcare infrastructure is a priority, though he did not provide a concrete timeline. “We are working on it,” he replied, emphasizing that efforts are underway to meet the region’s healthcare demands.
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The conversation then shifted to a pressing issue in the Vidarbha region, the increasing number of farmer suicides in Vidarbha, particularly Amravati, which has long been affected by agrarian distress. However, Rana asserted that farmers in the region are “happier than before.” He highlighted his ongoing efforts to advocate for better prices for agricultural products, suggesting that improving crop rates could mitigate financial pressures on the farming community.
Amravati Assembly Constituency is one of the 288 legislative assembly constituencies in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Amravati district and is a part of the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency.
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In the 2019 election results, Sulbha Sanjay Khodke of the Congress party received 82,582 votes, securing her victory, while Sunil Punjabrao Deshmukh of the Bharatiya Janata Party received 64,313 votes.