R G Kar campus issue moves 16 km north to reach Panihati

Kolkata: Panihati, a Trinamool Congress stronghold for two decades, which will go to the polls on April 29, has emerged as a centre of contest after BJP decided to field the mother of the RG Kar victim as its candidate, bringing the fight to the PGT doctor's neighbourhood, 16km from her campus.

The constituency has remained with Trinamool since the Left Front era. Nirmal Ghosh, a five-time legislator and state Assembly chief whip, retained the seat in 2021 by defeating BJP's Sanmoy Bandyopadhyay by 25,177 votes.



The past two decades saw Sodepur, Agarpara, Natagarh, Peerless Nagar, H B Town and Ghola in Panihati, embrace urbanisation with residential complexes and malls coming up. With more people settling on the peripheries of stations, Sukhchar Raja Basti, Mahendranagar, Deshbandhu Nagar, Sodepur Rail Colony, Azad Hind Nagar, Mahajati Nagar and Panshila turned into bustling colonies.

As the population grew, the political landscape of Panihati constituency, which includes the Barrackpore industrial belt as well, underwent a change.

The CPM retained dominance through the 1970s and 1980s but 1990s saw a shift toward the Congress. Trinamool Congress wrested a win in 1996 under Nirmal Ghosh, whose son, Tirthankar Ghosh, will contest this election, also on a Trinamool ticket. Factors behind the political shift reportedly included industrial stagnation in Barrackpore, factory shutdowns and realty development on defunct factory land. Residents also cited social disorder and a decline in civic services as reasons for the erosion of the Left base.

Waterlogging and poor garbage disposal had recently turned into an issue with Panihati Municipality as residents staged a protest at Ramchandrapur dumping ground in Sodepur. The situation was addressed after Trinamool formed a new municipal board.

In 2024, an atmosphere of mourning enveloped Panihati following the rape and murder of the RG Kar junior doctor. Agitation erupted across India and beyond, as doctors and people from all walks of life demanded justice for the young woman. Arrests and cop action followed but the victim's parents claimed justice was not delivered.

The BJP's nomination of the victim's mother changed the contest and the decision sparked controversy. Critics and social media users accused the BJP of using a tragedy for electoral gains and some within the party questioned whether public sentiments would indeed translate into votes. "I urge voters to support the fight for justice and against corruption," said the BJP candidate, who campaigned at Sodepur Peerless Nagar on Saturday. "My focus is on women's safety and addressing issues in govt hospitals." Pointing out the BJP could challenge the Trinamool govt, she said women's safety and civic amenities —waterlogging and garbage disposal—were her priorities. "I am inspired that PM Narendra Modi held a meeting in Panihati in my support. He promised cooperation in the demand for justice," she added.

Trinamool's Tirthankar focused his campaign on governance. "The election is about leadership and development. I am confident the party's grassroots connect and focus on services will ensure victory," he told TOI.

CPM candidate Kalatan Dasgupta, a face of RG Kar protests, called the protest a collective struggle. "We protested irrespective of affiliations. Apart from safety in Bengal, we raised voices against Hathras and Unnao horror," he said, adding civic services and industrial decline were his focus.
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