BJP's candidate for the Panihati Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district is Ratna Debnath. She is the mother of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in 2024, a crime which had led to massive protests against the Mamata Banerjee government.
Panihati has long been a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress, but the BJP hopes Ratna Debnath will be able to breach it.
Debnath said she decided to contest elections to continue her fight for justice and to challenge what she sees as failures in the system and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of failing to save her daughter from the horrific crime.
“My main enemy is Mamata Banerjee because she's the health minister, and my daughter worked for the health department. Why didn't Mamata Banerjee save my daughter?” she said.
Debnath revealed that she hasn't combed her hair since the incident as a form of mourning and protest, and said she will continue this until justice is served for her daughter. “People have lost hope of finding justice in this state ... I want to give these victims, their families, the people of this state, a voice,” she said.
The BJP claimed that the Trinamool Congress government protected the people responsible for the crime and blocked the investigation. The ruling party strongly denied these allegations, saying the investigation was being carried out properly.
A Special Investigation Team was set up to look into the case and the probe was later handed over to the CBI. Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer arrested for the crime, was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by a CBI court in January 2025.
Fight For Justice
Debnath and her family rejected state compensation, saying they want full justice.
She said her daughter's case is not unique and thousands of other victims in West Bengal have also suffered, often because of the ruling party. Justice, she added, can only be achieved if you have political power.
Panihati, a Trinamool Congress stronghold, was previously represented by Nirmal Ghosh, who served as MLA for three terms. For 2026, the Trinamool has fielded Tirthankar Ghosh, while CPM's candidate is Kalatan Dasgupta.
The West Bengal elections are scheduled for April 23 and 29, with counting taking place on May 4.
