Suvendu Adhikari's Personal Assistant Shot Dead Near Kolkata
Chandranath Rath, close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram in a suspected planned attack, raising concerns over political violence.
Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram, just two days after the party’s historic win in the assembly elections.
According to reports, Rath was travelling in a moving car when attackers followed him and opened fire after the vehicle slowed down. Four bullets were fired, out of which three hit him. He suffered serious injuries to his head, chest and abdomen.
Visuals from the scene showed the car’s left front window broken with bullet holes. The vehicle had a “West Bengal Legislative Assembly On Duty” symbol and was covered in blood after the attack.
Rath was an ex-serviceman of the Indian Air Force. He later joined BJP and had been working closely with Suvendu Adhikari since 2021. He handled political coordination and was considered part of Adhikari’s close team.
Suvendu Adhikari rushed to the hospital where Rath’s body was kept. The driver, identified as Buddhadeb, was also injured in the attack and is currently receiving treatment.
Adhikari’s brother, Dibyendu Adhikari, said that Suvendu was not present in the car at the time of the incident. He has demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation and alleged involvement of the Trinamool Congress.
Another BJP leader said that this incident reflects growing political violence in the state and demanded a proper investigation, suggesting there could be a larger conspiracy behind the murder.
Suvendu Adhikari called the incident “heart-wrenching” and a “cold-blooded murder”. He also claimed that the attackers had done proper planning and recce before carrying out the attack.
The Trinamool Congress has strongly condemned the murder. In a post on X, the party alleged that “BJP-backed miscreants” have been involved in post-poll violence in the last few days.
The killing took place on the same day when BJP accused Trinamool Congress workers of pretending to be BJP supporters to create violence. Videos on social media showed groups damaging public property.
A police officer said that the attackers seemed to be professionals and that Rath was the main target. The shots were aimed carefully, indicating that it was a planned attack. Investigation is currently ongoing.
This incident is important as Suvendu Adhikari is being seen as a possible candidate for Chief Minister of West Bengal. He recently defeated Mamata Banerjee by 15,105 votes in the Bhabanipur constituency. Earlier also, he had defeated her in Nandigram in the 2021 elections.
Suvendu Adhikari comes from a strong political family. He is the son of Sisir Adhikari, who served as a Union minister during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He started his political career with Congress in the 1990s, later joined Trinamool Congress, and in 2020, he moved to BJP.
