Swapna gets NOC from Railways, seeks blessings for her poll debut
Times of India | 1 April 2026
Siliguri: Swapna Barman, Trinamool candidate from the Rajganj Assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri district, expressed relief after receiving an NOC from Indian Railways on Tuesday. The development comes after the Calcutta High Court directed the Railways to clarify its position regarding her resignation.
"I recently lost my father, and dealing with that grief alongside the uncertainty over my NOC was very stressful. But I was reassured by our party's general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, who told me not to worry and to focus on campaigning. Today, I feel extremely relieved after receiving the NOC. I am hopeful that the people will support and bless me in the upcoming Assembly elections," said Barman.
Barman is an Arjuna Award winner and a heptathlete who represented India at the Asian Games. She joined Trinamool only last month, marking a significant shift from her sporting career to active politics. However, soon after her political entry, the Railways initiated departmental proceedings against her March 9, citing a violation of service rules for participating in political activities while being a govt employee.
Barman formally submitted her resignation on March 16, but it was not immediately accepted by the Railways. Instead, she received a notice stating that she had failed to respond adequately to the ongoing departmental proceedings. This prompted her to move the circuit bench of the high court, seeking legal intervention to direct the Railways to accept her resignation, thereby enabling her to contest the elections without administrative obstacles.
With the issuance of the NOC, Barman will file her nomination papers on April 5.