Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant was shot dead in West Bengal’s Madhyamgram on Wednesday night, just 48 hours after the BJP’s sweeping victory in the Assembly elections, triggering a major political storm in the state.
Chandranath Rath, a close aide and long-time associate of Adhikari, was travelling through the Doltala area of Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district when motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly intercepted his car and opened fire at close range.
According to preliminary reports, four rounds were fired at the vehicle after it slowed down on the road. Rath, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was struck by three bullets. Visuals from the scene showed the left-side front window of the car shattered with multiple bullet holes.
Rath’s driver, identified as Buddhadeb, also sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. According to reports, the attackers had allegedly been following the vehicle before carrying out the shooting and fleeing the scene.
Rath was initially taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. A doctor at the hospital stated that the victim was brought dead with multiple bullet injuries on his chest, which pierced his heart, and another bullet on his abdominal area. He also added that there was no opportunity to resuscitate Rath.
Suvendu Adhikari later rushed to the hospital where Rath’s body was kept. The BJP leader was not travelling with his aide at the time of the attack.
Rath had been associated with Adhikari for several years and handled political coordination and organisational responsibilities for the senior BJP leader. He was regarded as a trusted member of Adhikari’s inner circle.
The killing quickly snowballed into a political confrontation, with BJP leaders alleging that the attack was linked to ongoing post-poll violence in the state.
Speaking outside the hospital, BJP MLA-elect Kaustav Bagchi alleged, “This was a targeted attack. The assailants followed Rath’s car for a long time before pumping him with bullets. This is the handiwork of Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee. We will not rest until the criminals are identified. We will not cremate the body till then.” Another BJP leader, Tarunjyoti Tewari, said, “We have been preaching peace, but TMC has made the biggest blunder.”
Adhikari’s brother, Dibyendu Adhikari, demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the incident and alleged the involvement of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The Trinamool Congress condemned the killing and called for strict action against those responsible.In a statement posted on X, the party said, “We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram tonight, along with the killing of three other TMC workers in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly carried out by BJP-backed miscreants over the last three days, despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force.”
The statement further added, “We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-monitored CBI investigation so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay. Violence and political killings have no place in a democracy and the guilty must be held accountable at the earliest.”
The murder comes amid heightened tensions across West Bengal following the Assembly poll results, with both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress accusing each other of orchestrating post-poll violence in several parts of the state.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand said at least 80 people had been arrested in connection with incidents of violence reported after the election results. Of them, 65 were arrested in specific cases, while 15 others were detained as a preventive measure.
