KOLKATA: Panihati in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most closely watched battlegrounds, with BJP candidate and RG Kar rape-and-murder victim’s mother leading in the early rounds of counting.The contest has drawn statewide attention, pitting BJP against TMC’s Tirthankar Ghosh, with the fallout of the RG Kar case shaping voter sentiment and campaign narratives. Each round of counting is being keenly tracked for any shift in momentum.Panihati has traditionally been a Trinamool stronghold, with Nirmal Ghosh winning the seat in 2011, 2016 and 2021. A multi-cornered fight is underway, with candidates including Afsana Khatoon (Aam Janata Unnayan Party), Biswanath Dey (Independent), Chandra Shekhar Chowdhuri (SUCI-C), Kalatan Dasgupta (CPI-M), Subhashish Bhattacharya (Congress), and Swaminath Kori (BSP), though the primary battle remains between BJP and TMC.RG Kar victim mother’s electoral debut was marked by a tense polling day, with allegations and confrontations reported across booths. She cast her vote with her husband early in the morning, saying she was fighting for justice for her daughter and for the safety of women in Bengal. She also recalled the emotional void left by her daughter’s absence.With early trends indicating her lead, the Panihati result could signal whether the emotive RG Kar case has translated into electoral gains or if the TMC can retain its traditional bastion.
