In West Bengal’s Panihati constituency, Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim and BJP candidate, is currently leading in the counting by over 2,700 votes according to Election Commission trends. Her entry into politics has drawn major attention as she campaigned on issues of women’s safety, justice, and accountability following the RG Kar incident that triggered widespread outrage. Early trends showed a close contest with the Trinamool Congress candidate initially ahead before the BJP candidate moved into the lead. Across Bengal, counting continues to reflect a high-stakes contest between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party as final results are awaited.