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RG Kar victim's mother, accompanied by Smriti Irani, files nomination as BJP candidate from Panihati
Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar Hospital doctor who was raped and murdered in 2024, has filed her nomination as the BJP candidate from Panihati for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. She was accompanied by senior BJP leader and former Union minister Smriti Irani.
Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, the mother of the raped-murdered RG Kar hospital doctor filed her nomination papers on Thursday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Ratna Debnath from Panihati against Trinammol Congress (TMC) leader Tirthankar Ghosh and CPI(M)'s Kalatan Dasgupta. Notably, the seat is considered a TMC stronghold in the North 24 Parganas district. Debnath was accompanied by Smriti Irani and district party leaders for her nomination.
Speaking to reporters, Debnath said her decision to contest is driven by a single purpose. She stated that removing the TMC government from power would help ensure women's safety in Bengal and prevent tragedies like the RG Kar incident from recurring. Her entry into the electoral contest comes nearly eighteen months after the brutal killing of her 26-year-old daughter inside a locked seminar room of the state-run hospital in August 2024.
'BJP alone can deliver justice'
Debnath said she agreed to run from her hometown Panihati after being approached by the BJP, which assured her that contesting the polls would help "bring to light the truth behind the crime", news agency PTI reported. On March 26, the grieving parents said only the BJP could end what they described as the misrule of the TMC and secure justice for their daughter. They also stressed that a change in government was essential for the safety of women across the state.
Family to campaign together across constituency
The victim's father said he and his wife would jointly campaign for the upcoming polls. "My wife and I are a team. Both of us will move together across the constituency and campaign against the TMC," he added. When asked whether they would campaign in Bhabanipur, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting, he responded that they were ready to do so if the party required it, stating that they would work to ensure her defeat. Ratna Debnath claimed that she had previously also received an offer from the BJP but was not mentally ready to enter politics at that time.
West Bengal Elections 2026
The Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in West Bengal in two phases to elect all 294 members of the State Legislative Assembly. The polling for the first phase will be conducted on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. The votes will be counted, and the results will be declared on May 4.