BJP fields R.G. Kar victim’s mother from Panihati in West Bengal Assembly polls

Ther Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday (March 25, 2026), fielded the mother of the doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Hospital and Medical College in August 2024.

The mother of Abhaya (the victim was called Abhaya by protesters who took to the streets in protests) will contest from Panihati in North 24 Parganas. The party announced the names of candidates for 19 more constituencies in West Bengal on Wednesday evening. A few days ago, Abhaya’s mother had confirmed that she will contest from Panihati Assembly seat on a BJP ticket. Several BJP leaders including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had reached out to the family convincing the mother to contest the polls.

She had criticised a section of leaders of the Left parties accusing them of using the death of her daughter for political gains.

The protests over the gruesome crime that went on for months in 2024 was one of the biggest challenges faced by the Mamata Banerjee government in her third term prompting people to raise questions on deteriorating law and order situation and safety of women. Thousands of people had descended on the streets of the city for months seeking ‘ Justice for Abhaya’. Junior doctors of all-State run institutions went on a strike for weeks.

The Kolkata Police had arrested a former civic volunteer for the crime. In January 2025, a court in Sealdah sentenced the former civic police volunteer  for life imprisonment. The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case as per directions of the Calcutta High Court but could not make much headway in the case, despite a number of conspiracy theories going around in connection with the horrific crime.

A week ago Abhaya’s mother had criticised a section of leaders pf Communist Party of India (Marxist) claiming that they had used the death of her daughter as a political opportunity. CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Md Salim had urged her not join any political party. “We have never asked the victim’s parents to be [with the] CPI(M). We have only tried to stand beside them… We had no gain in helping the family, but the Trinamool Congress and BJP have their vested interests,” Mr. Salim had said.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that it was Kolkata Police which had arrested the convict and the subsequent agency CBI has also held the same conviction. “There have been several incidents of attack on women in BJP-ruled States and by BJP leaders. Joining such a party you are asking for justice for Abhaya,” Mr. Ghosh asked.

Tirthankar Ghosh, son of outgoing Panihati MLA and State’s Minister Nirmal Ghosh, is contesting on a Trinamool ticket in Panihati constituency. CPI(M) has fielded Kaltan Dasgupta as its candidate in that constituency.

The BJP’s third list of candidates includes several candidates from north Bengal. Rathindranath Bose has been fielded from Cooch Behar Dakshin while Dinesh Sarkar was nominated from Raiganj. BJP has given tickets to Chiranjit Roy in Islampur, Haripada Barman in Hemtabad, Amlan Bhaduri in English Bazar.

In south Bengal, Swapan Das will contest from Shantipur in Nadia while Biplob Mandal has been fielded in Howrah Central constituency, Arupkumar Das From Singur, Dipanjan Kumar Guha From Chandannagar, Dipanjan Chakraborty from Uttarpara among others.

West Bengal will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and 29 for 294 Assembly seats. The results will be announced on May 4.