The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Ratna Debnath, mother of the victim in the 2024 RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case, as its candidate for the Panihati Assembly constituency in the forthcoming West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections.
The party released its third list of 19 candidates on Wednesday evening, confirming Mrs Debnath’s candidature for the Panihati seat in North 24 Parganas, which will go to the polls in the first phase on 23 April. The BJP’s move comes days after she had expressed her desire to fight West Bengal Vidhan Sabha election on BJP ticket.
BJP releases the third list of 19 candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections pic.twitter.com/Z9TFoceVNB
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2026
Speaking to reporters, Ratna Debnath said the decision was her own and not imposed by the party. “I am entering politics to ensure justice for my daughter and to remove this government from power,” she stated, adding that her “main goal is to overthrow Mamata Banerjee and the TMC government” because of concerns over women’s safety.
She revealed that the BJP had approached her earlier but she had not been mentally prepared at the time. “Yesterday, I decided to accept it and contest because I want to end the rule of the home minister,” she said, referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the home portfolio.
Debnath expressed frustration with the pace of the investigation into her daughter’s death, alleging that the state government had obstructed justice and that “no justice has been served” despite court interventions. She cited ongoing incidents of violence against women and widespread corruption as additional reasons for joining the fray.
Ratna Debnath is the mother of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor whose body was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024. The case triggered widespread protests by doctors and civil society groups across West Bengal and the country.
Mrs Debnath’s husband has also joined the BJP and criticised the CPI(M) for allegedly politicising the protests without offering sustained support to the family. The family has maintained that only the BJP extended meaningful assistance in their fight against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
