If there was one image that foretold the backlash against the TMC government in West Bengal, it was the careworn face of that mother on the campaign stage, tears rolling down her cheeks. And if there was one number that did not surprise the Bengal voter, it was her victory margin.

The story of this state election, in many ways, was about the mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim. Fielded by the BJP from Panihati in North 24 Parganas, she gathered 87,977 votes, trouncing her nearest rival from the TMC by 28,836 votes — a verdict hailed as “a mother’s win”.

“I am here to fight for justice for my daughter. I am a candidate to fight for the safety and security of women in this state. That is my only concern,” the homemaker had told The Indian Express during campaign.

On Monday, she was quoted by ANI as saying: “My daughter is no longer just mine; the whole world is looking at Panihati. My daughter will surely make the lotus bloom in all of Bengal. The vote is for that purpose. I said it’s a fight for justice. The fight will not stop here; I will continue as long as I live.”

“Kakima has won,” said Dr Aniket Mahato, who had led the protest by junior doctors against what they said was the state government’s apathy in ensuring justice for the victim. “This is a personal win, a mother’s win and a particular political party’s win. We are against mixing the protest with this. We will continue our fight for justice,” Dr Asfakulla Naiya, a junior doctor who took part in the protests at the time, told this newspaper.

It was on August 9, 2024, that the body of the victim was found in a seminar room on campus. College authorities initially told her family she had died by suicide. A day later, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata Police, was arrested.

The Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI, stating that the police’s probe did not inspire confidence. Meanwhile, junior doctors across the state undertook a strike lasting 42 days, demanding a thorough investigation and adequate security at hospitals. And the victim’s family accused the TMC government of “shielding the real culprits”.

The incident also triggered a nationwide debate about the safety of women and doctors, and sparked outrage over the state government’s response.