India
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released its third list of candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, naming 19 contenders for various constituencies. Notably, the party has fielded the mother of the RG Kar Medical College student who was tragically raped and murdered. She will contest from the Panihati Assembly seat, bringing attention to issues of women’s safety and justice in the state.
The West Bengal Assembly polls are scheduled to be conducted in two phases, with the first phase on April 23 and the second on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 4. With 294 seats in the state assembly, the elections are being closely watched for their political significance and implications.
This third list adds to the earlier announcements made by the BJP. Last week, the party released its second list, naming 111 candidates, including former Union Minister Nisith Pramanik from the Mathabhanga constituency and former Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly from Sonarpur Dakshin. The first list, released prior to that, included 144 candidates and featured prominent names such as Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal’s current Leader of Opposition. Adhikari is contesting from Nandigram, where he defeated Mamata Banerjee in 2021, and from Bhabanipur, currently represented by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief.
The RG Kar victim’s mother had indicated prior to the announcement that she was in discussions with the BJP to contest the elections. Initially hesitant, she eventually decided to join the party, stating that her primary motivation was to “overthrow” the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, which she criticized for widespread corruption and failure to ensure women’s safety.
In statements to the media, she emphasized that her decision was driven by the need for justice for her daughter and the safety of women across West Bengal. She also expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI, which she said had not delivered the justice her family sought. “It wasn’t a last-minute decision. From the beginning, they were telling us, but I was not ready. But then I realized that for women’s safety and security, and the corruption that has spread in every aspect of Bengal, no one is happy, and so to overthrow the TMC, I joined the BJP,” she told reporters.
The announcement of the third list marks a crucial step in the BJP’s campaign strategy, signaling a focus on both high-profile political figures and candidates with strong local narratives, especially concerning justice and women’s safety.
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