Two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the West Bengal Assembly elections by a landslide, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead by unidentified assailants, triggering sharp political reactions and heightening tensions in the area.
The incident took place at Doharia in Madhyamgram’s Doltala area of North 24 Parganas district when Rath, who served as executive assistant to the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, was returning to his apartment from Kolkata by car. According to PTI, he was shot on the spot by motorcycle-borne assailants.
According to preliminary information, the attackers followed Rath’s car, caught him, shot him through a rolled-up window from the opposite side and fled the scene immediately after the attack. Rath, who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver, suffered excessive blood loss after multiple bullets hit his chest, BJP leaders claimed.
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Chandranath Rath was the personal assistant of Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. He was shot dead by unidentified assailants in West Bengal’s Madhyamgram shortly after the BJP’s victory in the state assembly elections.
Chandranath Rath was shot at point blank range by assailants on a motorcycle. They followed his car, intercepted him and shot him through the rolled-down window before fleeing the scene.
The killing has drawn sharp political reactions, with BJP leaders like Kaustav Bagchi calling it a targeted attack and accusing Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee of involvement. BJP leaders also gathered at the hospital and vowed not to cremate the body until the criminals are identified.
The BJP secured a major victory in the West Bengal assembly elections, winning 207 seats and ending the 10-year rule of the Trinamool Congress. The number of TMC seats has decreased significantly compared to the previous elections.
Yes, reports suggested that sharp weapons were seized from the Trinamool Congress office in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal during a police raid. A video purportedly showing these weapons has gone viral on social media.
Adhikari’s personal assistant was rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead on arrival. A hospital doctor said: “The victim was brought in dead with multiple bullet wounds to the chest that pierced his heart and another bullet to the abdomen. There was no opportunity to resuscitate him.”
Rath’s driver also sustained bullet injuries and was taken to a Kolkata hospital where his condition was listed as critical.
Suvendu Adhikari was on his way to the hospital, the report added.
Citing party sources, PTI said Rath played a key role in Adhikari’s campaigns in Bhabanipur constituency, where the BJP leader defeated former chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee.
In a statement to People’s News Channel, BJP leader and MLA-elect Kaustav Bagchi, who was present at the hospital, said, “It was a targeted attack. The attackers followed Rath’s car for a long time before pumping it with bullets. This is the handiwork of Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee. We will not rest until the criminals are identified.”
Commenting on the attack, newly elected BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tewari said, “We preached peace but TMC made the biggest mistake.” Senior BJP leaders rushed to the spot while Adhikari also visited the area later that night and was on his way to the hospital.
News of the incident spread quickly, prompting a large police contingent to be deployed in the area as tensions rose. BJP workers and supporters also gathered outside the medical facility and vented their anger.
The motive for the attack was not immediately known.
Senior police officers were present in the area and efforts are on to identify and trace those involved in the firing, sources said.
The incident sent shockwaves through the political circles of the state.
This is a developing story. Further details were awaited.
