West Bengal polls: RG Kar victim’s mother Ratna Debnath gets BJP ticket from Panihati

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday named Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim, as its candidate from Panihati in its third list of nominees for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, formally bringing the bereaved mother into the electoral fray.In a press release, the party said its Central Election Committee had approved a third list of 19 candidates for the Assembly polls, with Ratna Debnath fielded from Assembly constituency number 111, Panihati. Her candidature had been widely speculated in recent days after she publicly expressed willingness to contest on a BJP ticket. As per the BJP’s official list released on Wednesday, that possibility has now been formalised.Earlier, Ratna Debnath had said she wanted to contest the election to “secure justice” for her daughter and fight for women’s safety in West Bengal.“A long time has passed since the brutal killing of my daughter. Despite prolonged movements and struggle, we are yet to get justice. I have decided to contest the election on a BJP ticket to secure justice for her,” she had said the previous week.Her husband had also indicated that preliminary talks had taken place with BJP leaders over her possible candidature and said she was prepared to enter politics directly over the justice issue.Ratna Debnath’s demand had triggered sharp reactions from some faces associated with the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest movement that had emerged after the RG Kar case, with several activists and public figures calling the decision “unfortunate” and expressing concern over the political turn,Some protest voices said they understood the family’s frustration over delayed justice but questioned the decision to join electoral politics. Others said the prolonged wait for accountability may have pushed the family towards a more direct political route.The BJP’s official announcement on Wednesday, however, confirms that the party has gone ahead with her candidature from Panihati.Apart from Ratna Debnath in Panihati, the BJP’s third list includes candidates for constituencies such as Coochbehar Dakshin, Raiganj (SC), Islampur, Hemtabad (SC), English Bazar, Santipur, Howrah Madhya, Uttarpara, Singur, Chandannagar, Chunchura, Haripal, Tamluk, Medinipur, Purbasthali Dakshin, Katwa, Saithia (SC) and Nalhati, as per the party’s release.Ratna Debnath’s candidature is likely to draw significant political attention in the coming days, given the emotional weight of the RG Kar case and the wider debate it had sparked around women’s safety and justice in West Bengal.