BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant shot dead

Kolkata: The personal assistant of BJP leader and outgoing Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead by unidentified assailants in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, police said, two days after the party’s assembly election win.

The victim, Chandranath Rath, was attacked at Doharia in the Madhyamgram area. According to preliminary information, miscreants stopped his vehicle and fired multiple rounds at close range before fleeing the spot.

Rath sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead.


The driver of the vehicle also suffered bullet injuries. He was initially taken to a local hospital and later shifted to Kolkata for further treatment.

Rath was a close aide of Adhikari and had been associated with him since his days in the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). He later joined the BJP along with the leader and was handling election-related responsibilities, including work linked to Bhabanipur, party sources said.

Police said CCTV footage from the area is being examined and a probe is underway. A large contingent of police and CAPF personnel has been deployed at the spot.

Senior BJP leaders, including Sukanta Majumdar and Arjun Singh, reached the hospital after the incident. Party workers also gathered in large numbers and staged protests.

BJP leaders alleged political involvement in the killing and demanded action against Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee and Rathin Ghosh. There was no immediate response from the TMC.

Rathin Ghosh of the TMC had won the Madhyamgram seat by 2,399 votes in the recent Assembly elections.