New BJP MLA’s chart out road to governance in Bengal
The Statesman | 10 May 2026
Newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators in West Bengal on Saturday outlined their priorities for governance, with women’s safety, civic infrastructure and law and order emerging as key themes following the oath-taking ceremony of the state’s first BJP government that ended the 15-year-old rule of the Trinamool Congress in Bengal.
UNI spoke to these MLAs on the sidelines of the oath-taking ceremony at the Brigade Parade Ground.
Ratna Debnath, the MLA from Panihati, who lost her 31-year-old daughter, a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in a rape and murder case that had triggered nationwide outrage and protests demanding justice and stronger protection for women said that her sole focus after her win will be to “ensure safety for women everywhere.”
“My entire mandate is ensuring that there is no repeat of the gruesome incident that my daughter had to endure,” Debnath said, referring to the RG Kar case that had galvanised protests across the state.
“I intend to form and execute a proper roadmap to ensure women’s safety at all levels. Be it a woman walking on the street or sitting in her office or a cafe I want to do my best to ensure that she feels safe and protected. I know we have a long way to go, but I will try my best,” she said.
Sajal Ghosh Baranagar’s MLA and a long-standing councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) also attended the ceremony.
Speaking to UNI Ghosh said: “Today is a day that marks a beginning on many fronts in Bengal. We will focus on improving civic infrastructure in the city. Special focus will be placed on roads, drainage and streetlights. Illegal land transfers and buildings will also be looked into. However, we have only come to power. We will start tackling things one at a time,” Ghosh said.
Debashis Dhar, the MLA from Sonarpur North and a former IPS officer, stressed the need for balanced development alongside strengthening law and order in the state.
“We have to ensure that overall development is carried out across all constituencies. To begin with, I will start with a focus on my constituency area,” Dhar said.
“During my campaign I listened to, and listed out, the worries and needs of the people who live there and will strive to address them to the best of my ability,” he added.
Dhar also said restoring confidence in policing and governance would be important for the new government.
“Overall, for the state, I really think that law and order must improve. We will have emphasise on this,” he said.
The reactions from the newly elected legislators came as the BJP formally assumed office in West Bengal for the first time. The party formed the government in Bengal 79 years after Independence and party leaders projected the new administration as one focused on governance, public safety and infrastructure development.