Kolkata: The personal assistant to senior West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead in Madhyamgram on Wednesday, just two days after the party secured a landmark victory in the state assembly elections.
Chandranath Rath, who had served as Adhikari’s personal assistant for several years, was travelling in a moving car when unidentified assailants followed the vehicle and opened fire. Rath was struck by three of the four bullets fired, with visuals from the scene showing the left front window of the car shattered by bullet holes. His driver, Buddhadeb, sustained injuries in the attack and was hospitalised.
Rath was a trusted member of Adhikari’s inner circle, managing the leader’s political coordination and related responsibilities. Adhikari rushed to a hospital in Madhyamgram where police had taken the body. He was not present in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Adhikari’s brother, Dibyendu Adhikari, confirmed the details and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing. He pointed to the involvement of Trinamool Congress elements.
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Senior BJP leaders condemned the murder, describing it as part of a long-standing pattern of violence allegedly fostered by the ruling Trinamool Congress. BJP leader Nikhil Prasun told NDTV that the incident pointed to a deeper conspiracy and called for a thorough investigation. Devdas Mondal accused the Trinamool of targeting an innocent individual and vowed to ensure those responsible were brought to justice.
The Trinamool Congress strongly condemned Rath’s murder through a post on X by its official handle. The party alleged that BJP-backed miscreants had been involved in post-poll violence over the preceding three days, including the killing of three of its own workers, even as the Model Code of Conduct remained in force. Rathin Ghosh of the Trinamool had narrowly defeated a strong BJP challenge in the Madhyamgram seat by a margin of 2,399 votes.
The incident occurred amid reports of sporadic unrest, with the BJP claiming that some Trinamool workers were impersonating BJP supporters to provoke violence. Social media videos captured instances of groups damaging public property. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand reported that authorities had arrested at least 80 individuals, taken 65 into custody in specific cases, and detained 15 others preventively.
Suvendu Adhikari, dubbed the “giant killer” for his decisive victory over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency by more than 15,000 votes, is seen as a leading contender for the chief minister’s post.
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