BJP Aide Shot Dead in West Bengal Post-Poll Attack

Chandranath Rath, a close aide and personal assistant to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, on Wednesday night, hours after the state's assembly election results signaled a shift from Trinamool Congress rule to a BJP-led government.

Police described the attack as premeditated. Assailants in a small car intercepted Rath's SUV near his residence, while motorcycle-borne men fired multiple rounds at point-blank range. Rath, 41, was declared dead at Vivacity Nursing Home despite resuscitation efforts. His driver sustained bullet injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators recovered a vehicle with fake number plates and formed a Special Investigation Team led by senior CID officers to probe the incident, including CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts.

Rath, a former Indian Air Force serviceman from Purba Medinipur with ties to the Ramakrishna Mission, had worked closely with Adhikari since 2019, handling organizational tasks during campaigns. Adhikari called the killing "heartwrenching" and "preplanned," alleging Rath had been tracked for days. "They followed him and executed...