&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "RG Kar victim’s mother enters Bengal polls, pitches campaign on women’s safety")
Ratna Debnath, the mother of the victim in the alleged rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College, has entered the electoral arena as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Panihati assembly constituency in West Bengal, stating that her campaign is driven by concerns over women’s safety.
“I am contesting the election for the safety of women… TMC candidate is no challenge for me here… People’s response is very good,” Debnath told reporters.
The crime, which sent shockwaves across the country, had triggered widespread protests in West Bengal and beyond, emerging as a focal point in debates around women’s safety, law and order, and accountability. Demonstrations were led by doctors, civil society groups and opposition parties, many of whom accused the state government of lacking transparency in handling the case.
The contest in Panihati, located in the North 24 Parganas district, is expected to draw significant attention, with the BJP positioning Debnath’s candidature as both symbolic and politically potent in the aftermath of the incident. The party is likely to foreground the case in its campaign, seeking to sharpen its attack on the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The issue has also intensified scrutiny of governance under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with opposition leaders alleging lapses in maintaining law and order.
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Polling for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, a marked departure from the eight-phase schedule seen in 2021. The results are due to be declared on May 4.
In the last Assembly elections in 2021, the TMC secured a sweeping victory, winning 213 of the 294 seats and returning to power for a third consecutive term. The BJP emerged as the principal opposition with 77 seats, a sharp increase from its tally of three in 2016. The Congress and the Left Front, once dominant forces in the state, failed to win a single seat, signalling a dramatic shift in Bengal’s political landscape.
