NEW DELHI: RG Kar rape victim’s mother and BJP candidate Ratna Debnath is currently leading in the Panihati assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas. The Panihati seat has emerged as one of the most closely watched contests in the West Bengal election, with Debnath facing TMC candidate Tirthankar Ghosh, the son of a five-time sitting MLA. The constituency falls under the Dumdum Lok Sabha seat and includes wards 1–14, 16, 17 and 22 of Panihati Municipality.The battle in Panihati has drawn intense attention from both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress, with widespread campaigning seen across the constituency. Ratna Debnath has framed her candidature on her daughter’s memory and concerns over women’s safety. Debnath had earlier stated, “I chose to fight in this election for my daughter and for women whose security is under threat under the TMC government. Mamata Banerjee and her corrupt party leaders are responsible for my daughter’s death. People welcome me when I reach out for votes and assure me of their support. I lost my daughter, but I want to serve the people and help them. I may not be a doctor like her, but as a representative, I want to continue her mission.”Against this backdrop, Panihati has become a high-stakes constituency where concerns over governance, accountability and women’s safety intersect with established political loyalties. The result is being closely watched across West Bengal as counting progresses.Elsewhere in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is leading ahead of BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari.According to Election Commission trends, the Bharatiya Janata Party is leading on 121 seats, the Trinamool Congress is ahead on 71 seats, and its ally BGPM is leading on one seat.West Bengal recorded the highest-ever voter turnout since independence with an impressive 91.66% polling in Phase-II of the Assembly elections. In the phase-I the poll-participation was 93.19%, taking the combined poll percentage to 92.47%.
