Sergkwi at 14:07, 7 May 2026

2026-05-07T14:07:57Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician and activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox politician
| name = Ratna Debnath
| image =
| caption = Debnath in 2026
| native_name = রত্না দেবনাথ
| native_name_lang = bn
| office = Member of [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]]<br>for [[Panihati Assembly constituency|Panihati]]
| constituency =
| term_start = 4 May 2026
| predecessor = [[Nirmal Ghosh]]
| party = [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (since 2026)
| children = 1 (deceased)
| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|activist}}
| known_for = Public advocacy following [[2024 Kolkata rape and murder|RG Kar rape case]]
}}

'''Ratna Debnath''' is an Indian politician and activist. She was nominated by the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] as its candidate from the [[Panihati Assembly constituency]] for the [[2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=BJP releases Bengal candidate list, names Ratna Debnath from Panihati |work=The Hindu |date=25 March 2026 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/}}</ref> She came to wider public attention as the mother of the victim in the [[2024 Kolkata rape and murder|2024 Kolkata RG Kar Medical College and Hospital case]], which led to public protests and debate over women's safety and justice in [[West Bengal]].<ref name="NDTV-profile">{{cite news |title=All About Ratna Debnath, Mother Of RG Kar Victim, Contesting For BJP From Panihati |work=NDTV |date=22 April 2026 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bengal-elections-2026-ratna-debnath-mother-of-rg-kar-victim-contesting-on-bjp-ticket-from-panihati-11392072}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=RG Kar case becomes major issue in Bengal politics |work=India Today |date=2026 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Ratna Debnath is the mother of the victim in the [[2024 Kolkata rape and murder|2024 Kolkata RG Kar Medical College and Hospital case]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Desk |first=India Today News |date=2026-05-04 |title=Ratna Debnath, RG Kar victim's mother and BJP candidate, wins Bengal elections |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/assembly/story/rg-kar-victims-mother-ratna-debnath-wins-panihati-as-bjp-sweeps-bengal-2906677-2026-05-04 |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> Her only daughter was a 31 year old resident doctor in R.G Kar MCH, when she was raped and murdered on duty. Following the incident, there was widespread protest in the state by the medical fraternity as well as by common people demanding justice for the victim.<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmwj4z1xpko</ref> The family expressed their dissatisfaction with the investigation and said their daughter was denied justice.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chatterjee |first=Moyurie Som & Shrabana |date=2025-06-07 |title=R.G. Kar case: Parents of deceased doctor express dissatisfaction with CBI probe |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/west-bengal/rg-kar-case-parents-of-deceased-doctor-express-dissatisfaction-with-cbi-probe/article69669184.ece |access-date=2026-05-05 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> In 2025 Debnath said she wanted to contest elections and enter politics to serve justice to her daughter and was subsequently given a ticket by the BJP. Debnath was criticised by the politicians of the ruling party of West Bengal for her education qualification, however it was not well received by the common public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ratna Debnath(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- PANIHATI(NORTH 24 PARGANAS) - Affidavit Information of Candidate: |url=https://www.myneta.info/WestBengal2026/candidate.php?candidate_id=2435 |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=www.myneta.info}}</ref>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/bengal-polls-tmc-goons-harassed-rg-kar-victims-mother-while-filing-nomination-for-panihati-constituency-says-smriti-irani/articleshow/130162714.cms]

Debnath is an illiterate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ratna Debnath(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- PANIHATI(NORTH 24 PARGANAS) - Affidavit Information of Candidate: |url=https://www.myneta.info/WestBengal2026/candidate.php?candidate_id=2435 |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=www.myneta.info}}</ref>

==Political career==

Ahead of the [[2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], the BJP announced Debnath as its candidate from [[Panihati Assembly constituency]] in North 24 Parganas district.<ref name="TOI-ticket">{{cite news |title=West Bengal polls: RG Kar victim’s mother Ratna Debnath gets BJP ticket from Panihati |work=The Times of India |date=25 March 2026 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/west-bengal-polls-rg-kar-victims-mother-ratna-debnath-gets-bjp-ticket-from-panihati/articleshow/129804969.cms}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=WB Assembly Elections: Mother of RG Kar victim gets BJP candidature from Panihati constituency |work=Akashvani News |date=26 March 2026 |url=https://www.newsonair.gov.in/wb-assembly-elections-mother-of-rg-kar-victim-gets-bjp-candidature-from-panihati-constituency/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=BJP names Ratna Debnath in Bengal poll list |work=Hindustan Times |date=26 March 2026 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/}}</ref> During her campaign, Debnath stated that women’s safety and justice were among her priorities.<ref>{{cite news |title=West Bengal polls: RG Kar victim’s mother files nomination, says women’s safety a priority |work=The Times of India |date=9 April 2026 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/rg-kar-mother-files-papers-says-womens-safety-a-priority/articleshow/130151117.cms}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ratna Debnath campaigns on women's safety agenda |work=The Telegraph |date=2026 |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/}}</ref> She was warmly welcomed by teary eyed people wherever she went for campaigning. Her quest for justice was also supported by several politicians from the BJP. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Union Minister Smriti Irani, former Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Deb, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were among the politicians who extended their support for her.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Das |first=Anupreeta |last2=Das |first2=Hari KumarAnupreeta |last3=candidate |first3=Hari Kumar spoke with the |last4=Kolkata |first4=her supporters as they campaigned door to door in |date=2026-04-30 |title=Her Daughter Was Raped and Killed. Now She’s Seeking Office — and Justice. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/30/world/asia/india-elections-bjp-ratna-debnath.html |access-date=2026-05-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> She was allegedly harassed and intimidated by some supporters of the ruling party while filing her nomination.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-04-29 |title='TMC goons tried to attack me, threatened me over May 4': BJP’s Ratna Debnath amid West Bengal Phase 2 polling |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/west-bengal/bjp-candidate-ratna-debnath-alleges-attack-by-tmc-goons-amid-voting-in-west-bengal-elections/articleshow/130602096.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2026-05-05 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> Debnath won the [[2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] from Panihati by a huge margin defeating Tirthankar Ghosh from AITC.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rajput |first=Kajal |date=2026-05-04 |title=West Bengal Assembly Polls 2026: Ratna Debnath, RG Kar victim's mother leads in Panihati |url=https://medicaldialogues.in/state-news/west-bengal/west-bengal-assembly-polls-2026-ratna-debnath-rg-kar-victims-mother-leads-in-panihati-169932 |language=en}}</ref>

==Public profile==

After her candidacy was confirmed, in one media interaction she said she will not comb her hair untill her daughter was served justice and the then chief minister [[Mamata Banerjee]] was dethroned.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Won't comb my hair till my daughter gets justice": Mother of RG Kar rape victim 'vows' to defeat Mamata Banerjee in polls |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/wont-comb-my-hair-till-my-daughter-gets-justice-mother-of-rg-kar-rape-victim-vows-to-defeat-mamata-banerjee-in-polls20260409081153/ |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=ANI News |language=en}}</ref> Commentators described her candidacy as symbolically significant because it connected issues of justice, public safety, and electoral politics in West Bengal.<ref name="NDTV-profile" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Ratna Debnath candidature seen as symbolic BJP move |work=The Economic Times |date=2026 |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/}}</ref> The [[2024 Kolkata rape and murder|2024 Kolkata RG Kar Medical College and Hospital case]] and Debnath's decision to contest election from BJP is said to be one of the biggest reason for loss of [[All India Trinamool Congress]] and [[Mamata Banerjee]]. The election resulted in BJP scripting a historic landslide victory winning 207 seats out of 293 and [[All India Trinamool Congress]] being reduced to only 80 seats. The outgoing chief minister [[Mamata Banerjee]] lost to BJP candidate [[Suvendu Adhikari]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ellis-Petersen |first=Hannah |date=2026-05-04 |title=Narendra Modi’s BJP wins election in West Bengal for the first time |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/04/modis-bjp-party-win-election-west-bengal-first-time |access-date=2026-05-05 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

== Electoral performance ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+[[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
!Year
!Constituency
!
!Party
!Votes
!%
!Opponent
!
!Party
!Votes
!%
!Margin
!Result
|-
|[[2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election|2026]]
|[[Panihati Assembly constituency|Panihati]]
|{{Party name with color|Bhartiya Janata Party}}
|87,977
|59.8%
|Tirthankar Ghosh
|{{Party name with color|All India Trinamool Congress}}
|59,141
|40.2%
|28,836
|style="background:#90EE90;" | '''Won'''
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Debnath, Ratna}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:People from North 24 Parganas district]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Ratna Debnath - Revision history

Sergkwi at 14:07, 7 May 2026