Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Panihati, West Bengal, on April 24, 2026, fielding Ratna Debnath — mother of the RG Kar rape victim — as the BJP candidate from the constituency. He asserted that the first phase of voting had already signaled a certain defeat for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), claiming the party’s influence was waning and its cadres had nowhere to hide. Modi framed the election as a struggle to free Bengal from TMC’s rule, accusing the party of suppressing women’s aspirations and perpetuating corruption and fear.
Speaking at the Dum Dum assembly constituency earlier the same day, Modi intensified his rhetoric, declaring that TMC had “crushed the temple of democracy” and was empowering its goons through the night. He reiterated his promise that files related to atrocities against women in Bengal would be opened after May 4, presenting it as a guarantee from his government. The BJP has positioned Debnath’s candidacy as a symbolic rebuttal to what it describes as TMC’s “jungle raj,” highlighting her personal journey of educating her daughter to become a doctor, only for that progress to be allegedly reversed under TMC governance.
According to election data, the first phase of voting in West Bengal saw over 92 percent turnout across 152 of the state’s 294 seats. In Tamil Nadu, all 234 constituencies recorded more than 85 percent participation. The second phase of voting in Bengal is scheduled for April 29, covering the remaining 142 seats. The BJP is actively campaigning for this phase, having already nominated Debnath in Panihati and deployed Modi for multiple rallies across the state.
The party’s official website confirmed Modi’s schedule for April 24, listing his engagements in West Bengal under the banner of “vijay sankalp sabhas” (victory resolve meetings). While the BJP’s online portal primarily featured unrelated content — including Modi’s remarks at international forums and interactions with Olympians — the inclusion of the Bengal event underscores the strategic priority the party assigns to the state election.
Modi’s narrative consistently links the RG Kar case to broader political messaging, using the victim’s mother as both a electoral symbol and a moral indictment of TMC governance. By promising to open case files after May 4, he ties judicial accountability to the electoral outcome, suggesting that a BJP victory would unlock investigations currently stalled. This framing transforms a localized tragedy into a statewide referendum on safety, governance, and women’s rights.
The TMC has not issued a direct response to these specific allegations in the provided sources, but the BJP’s campaign relies heavily on portraying the incumbent party as corrupt, anti-woman, and fearful of electoral defeat. Modi’s repeated use of metaphors — such as TMC’s “lamp flickering before extinguishing” and goons having no place to hide — aims to convey inevitability in the party’s decline.
The BJP’s strategy in West Bengal centers on converting public outrage over the RG Kar case into electoral momentum, leveraging personal tragedy to challenge TMC’s decade-long rule. By fielding the victim’s mother, the party seeks to reframe the election not just as a contest of power, but as a reckoning over justice and women’s safety.
With voter turnout exceeding 92 percent in the first phase, the election has already demonstrated high civic engagement, which both parties are attempting to interpret in their favor. The BJP claims this reflects a mandate for change, while the TMC maintains it is fighting to preserve its fourth consecutive term.
As the April 29 second phase approaches, the political contest in Bengal is increasingly defined by competing narratives of accountability and fear — one side promising to uncover buried files, the other warning of democratic erosion. The outcome will determine whether the state continues under TMC leadership or shifts toward a BJP-led government promising a break from what it describes as years of intimidation and unaddressed violence.
Why is the BJP fielding Ratna Debnath as a candidate in Panihati?
The BJP has nominated Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar rape victim, to symbolize its campaign against what it describes as TMC’s “jungle raj” and to highlight alleged failures in delivering justice for women under the incumbent government.
What did PM Modi promise regarding files related to atrocities against women in West Bengal?
PM Modi guaranteed that files related to atrocities against women in Bengal would be opened after May 4, 2026, framing it as a commitment that would only be fulfilled following a BJP victory in the election.
How does the BJP interpret the high voter turnout in the first phase of voting?
The BJP claims the over 92 percent turnout in the first phase of voting in West Bengal reflects public endorsement of change and signals an imminent defeat for the Trinamool Congress in the upcoming second phase.
