“A 31-year-old woman doctor went to take rest but who raped and killed the doctor? He is part of Mamata Banerjee’s civic police. Who tried to remove evidence of the crime? A doctor who was close to the ruling party and the officer in charge of the Tala police station,” the BJP leader said at a bypoll rally in Madarihat. “This is the first vote after RG Kar rape and murder. Don’t you want to take revenge?”

The bypolls will be held in six constituencies—Sitai, Madarihat, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, and Taldangra—on November 13 and the counting of votes will take place on November 23. The BJP, which won only one of these seats, Madarihat, in the 2021 elections, is eyeing more seats this time.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, which is holding Bijaya Sammilani in every block, is highlighting the state government’s action in the RG Kar case.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh sharply reacted to Adhikari’s statement. “Assembly elections will be held on the issue of development. People will see who can ensure development and will vote accordingly. If the BJP wants to fight the polls on RG Kar, we will raise the cases of Unnao and Hathras as well as the Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat issues. Basically they know they will not win. Now they are shouting about RG Kar,” he said.