BJP Releases Third List Of 19 Candidates For Bengal Polls; Ratna Debnath Named

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday released its third roster of 19 candidates for the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, bringing the total declared nominees to 174 out of 294 constituencies.

The most notable inclusion remains Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar Medical College victim, who will contest from Panihati in North 24 Parganas.

Debnath, a resident and registered voter of the constituency, steps into electoral politics amid continued public discourse surrounding the tragic 2024 incident.

An assailant raped and murdered the junior doctor within the hospital premises in August that year, sparking nationwide outrage.

From the same seat, the Trinamool Congress has nominated Tirthankar Ghosh, son of sitting MLA and Chief Whip Nirmal Ghosh, whose name earlier surfaced in controversy linked to the victim’s cremation process.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has fielded youth leader Kalatan Dasgupta, who actively participated in protests following the incident.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari confirmed that the victim’s parents took primary membership of the BJP. The party’s central leadership has now finalised the candidature decision.

The investigation into the case initially began with the Kolkata Police, which arrested civic volunteer Sanjay Roy.

The Central Bureau of Investigation assumed control following a directive from the Calcutta High Court and upheld Roy as the sole accused.

A trial court later convicted him and awarded life imprisonment. The CBI has since approached the High Court, seeking capital punishment.

The following names in the Bengal BJP candidate list are outlined below:

Also Read: RG Kar Victim’s Mother Ratna Debnath Gets BJP Ticket From Panihati