West Bengal Elections: RG tax victim’s mother Ratna Debnath gets BJP ticket from Panihati. india news
In a press release, the party said its Central Election Committee has approved the third list of 19 candidates for the Assembly elections, in which Ratna Debnath has been fielded from Assembly Constituency No. 111, Panihati.
There was widespread speculation about his candidature in recent days after he publicly expressed his desire to contest the elections on a BJP ticket. That possibility has now been formalized, according to the BJP’s official list released on Wednesday.
The move follows his public call to enter politics
Earlier, Ratna Debnath had said that she wanted to contest elections to “get justice” for her daughter and fight for women’s safety in West Bengal.“A lot of time has passed since the brutal murder of my daughter. Despite long movements and struggle, we are yet to get justice. I have decided to contest elections on a BJP ticket to get justice for her,” he had said last week.Her husband had also indicated that he had had preliminary talks with BJP leaders on her possible candidature and said that he was ready to enter politics directly on the issue of justice.
This was followed by political and protest reaction
Ratna Debnath’s demand had drawn sharp reactions from some faces associated with the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest movement that emerged after the RG tax case, with several activists and public figures calling the decision “unfortunate” and expressing concern over the political turn.Some protesting voices said they understood the family’s frustration over the delay in justice but questioned the decision to get involved in electoral politics. Others said the longer wait for accountability may have pushed the family toward a more direct political path.However, the official announcement from BJP on Wednesday confirms that the party has gone ahead with his candidature from Panihati.
BJP’s third list includes 19 names
According to the party release, apart from Ratna Debnath in Panihati, the BJP’s third list includes candidates from constituencies like Cooch Behar South, Raiganj (SC), Islampur, Hemtabad (SC), English Bazar, Shantipur, Howrah Central, Uttarpara, Singur, Chandannagar, Chunchura, Haripal, Tamluk, Medinipur, Purbasthali South, Katwa, Saithia (SC) and Nalhati.Given the emotional significance of the RG tax case and the broader debate surrounding women’s safety and justice in West Bengal, Ratna Debnath’s candidature is likely to attract significant political attention in the coming days.