Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant shot dead in West Bengal's Madhyamgram, days after election results

Two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the West Bengal Assembly elections with a massive margin, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead by unidentified assailants, triggering sharp political reactions and heightened tension in the area.

The incident occurred at Doharia in Madhyamgram's Doltala area in North 24 Parganas district, when Rath, who served as the executive assistant to the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, was returning to his flat from Kolkata by car. He was shot at point-blank range by motorcycle-borne assailants, news agency PTI reported.

Here's what happened

According to the preliminary information, assailants followed Rath's car, intercepted it, shot him through the rolled-up window from the opposite side, and fled the scene immediately after carrying out the attack. Rath, who was seated in the front seat, next to the driver, suffered excessive blood loss after several bullets hit his chest, BJP leaders claimed.

Adhikari's personal assistant was taken to a private hospital, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. A hospital doctor said, "The victim was brought dead with multiple bullet injuries on his chest, which pierced his heart, and another bullet on his abdominal area. There was no opportunity to resuscitate him."

Rath's driver also sustained bullet injuries and was shifted to a Kolkata hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical.

Suvendu Adhikari was on his way to the hospital, the report added.

BJP leaders accuse TMC

Citing party sources, PTI reported that Rath played a crucial role in Adhikari's campaigns in the Bhabanipur constituency, where the BJP leader triumphed over former chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee.

In a statement to a vernacular news channel, BJP leader and MLA-elect Kaustav Bagchi, who was present at the hospital, said, "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."

Commenting on the attack, newly elected BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tewari said, "We have been preaching peace, but TMC has made the biggest blunder."

TMC condemns attack on Adhikari's assistant

The TMC has condemned the attack on Suvendu Adhikari's assistant on Wednesday. In a statement, 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."

It added, "We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-monitored CBI probe so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay."

The party further noted that violence and political killings have no place in a democracy, and the guilty must be held accountable at the earliest.

Heightened tension in Madhyamgram

News of the incident spread quickly, prompting the deployment of a large police contingent in the area amid rising tension. BJP workers and supporters also gathered outside the medical facility and vented their anger.

The motive behind the attack was not immediately known.

Senior police officers were present in the area, and efforts were underway to identify and trace those involved in the shooting, sources said.

The incident sent shock waves through the state's political circles.