Kolkata, 06 April (H.S.) : Former athlete and Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Swapna Barman on Monday filed her nomination papers from the Rajganj Assembly constituency for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, after overcoming prolonged legal and administrative hurdles that had initially put her candidature in doubt.
Speaking after filing her nomination, Barman said that she had reached this stage after considerable struggle and personal sacrifice. She stated that she had already resigned from her job with the Railways and had even decided to forgo her pension if necessary. Despite this, there were delays in obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC), which eventually led to legal proceedings.
She noted that contesting the election without the NOC would have been nearly impossible. During this period, she also suffered a personal loss with the death of her father, adding to the challenges she faced. The uncertainty ended on Sunday after the Election Commission clarified that there was no bar on her contesting the polls.
According to available information, some administrative allegations had been raised against her by the Railways, but no charges related to corruption or anti-national activities were found.
Before filing her nomination, Barman visited the Bhramari Devi Temple in Rajganj to offer prayers. She said that with all legal issues now resolved, she would fully focus on her election campaign. Describing herself as a daughter of Rajganj with a sporting background, she expressed confidence about connecting with voters.
Meanwhile, the name of sitting MLA Khageswar Roy had also surfaced as a possible alternative candidate at the last moment. Party sources indicated that he was being kept as a backup option in case Barman’s nomination faced any last-minute legal obstacles.
However, Roy was not present during Barman’s nomination filing. According to party insiders, he was occupied with preparations related to Abhishek Banerjee’s North Bengal tour, and there were no internal differences within the party regarding the candidature.
The Rajganj constituency is expected to witness a closely watched contest as campaigning gains pace in the run-up to the polls.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
