KOLKATA: Chandranath Rath, the close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who was shot dead in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night, had emerged as one of the key backroom figures behind the BJP’s fiercest political offensive against Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur — the constituency that became the epicentre of Bengal’s bitter election battle.Party sources said Rath was part of the core team leading BJP’s operations in Bhabanipur during the assembly elections and played a central role in coordinating organisational strategy, mobilisation and ground management for Adhikari in the high-voltage contest against the Trinamool Congress chief.Sources claimed that it was Chandranath Rath who confronted Mamata Banerjee during the dramatic late-night dharna outside the Bhabanipur counting centre on April 30 and the early hours of May 1, when tensions spiralled between the BJP, Trinamool Congress and the Election Commission over allegations linked to EVM strongrooms.Read more: Fake number plate, Glock 47X pistols, and point-blank shots: Chilling details emerge in Suvendu Adhikari aide’s killingThe confrontation escalated after TMC leaders alleged procedural violations and claimed strongrooms were being reopened without authorised political representatives present. Mamata Banerjee herself reached the counting centre amid heavy rain and staged a protest, accusing the BJP and the Election Commission of attempting to manipulate EVMs and ballot boxes.As TMC supporters gathered outside the venue, BJP leaders and workers also mobilised in large numbers. Sources said Rath was among those coordinating BJP’s protest operations and mobilisation during the tense face-off that continued deep into the night.Within Bengal BJP circles, Rath was considered far more than a personal assistant of Suvendu Adhikari.From serving nearly two decades in the Indian Air Force to becoming one of Adhikari’s most trusted political operators, the 41-year-old had quietly risen into a crucial strategic role inside the BJP’s Bengal organisation.Read more: Who was Chandranath Rath: The air force veteran who became Suvendu Adhikari’s closest political aideOriginally from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district — the political turf closely associated with Adhikari’s rise — Rath remained soft-spoken and low-profile despite being deeply embedded within the BJP leader’s inner circle for years.Before entering active politics, Rath studied at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission and was deeply influenced by its spiritual ethos. Family acquaintances said he had once seriously considered embracing a spiritual life during his student years.He later joined the Indian Air Force and served for nearly 20 years before opting for voluntary retirement. After leaving the armed forces, he briefly worked in the corporate sector before gradually moving into political coordination and administrative responsibilities.Sources said the Rath family, much like Adhikari’s, had earlier been associated with the Trinamool Congress during its expansion in Purba Medinipur. His mother, Hasi Rath, had reportedly held a position in a local panchayat body before shifting allegiance to the BJP alongside Adhikari in 2020.Family acquaintances said the relationship between the Rath family and Adhikari stretched back more than two decades to the early years of TMC’s rise in the district.Rath formally became part of Adhikari’s official team around 2019, when the BJP leader was still serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. Initially, he handled responsibilities linked to Adhikari’s ministerial office and later continued in a similar role after Adhikari crossed over to the saffron camp.Over time, Rath evolved into a key backroom strategist within Adhikari’s political machinery. He coordinated organisational work, managed logistics and maintained communication with party workers and legislators across Bengal.BJP insiders described him as someone who enjoyed Adhikari’s complete confidence and was frequently entrusted with politically sensitive assignments linked to campaign coordination and organisational management.Within sections of the BJP organisation, there had even been speculation that Rath could eventually be entrusted with a larger administrative role if Adhikari assumed a bigger responsibility in government following the assembly polls.Those discussions came to a sudden and violent end on Wednesday night.According to investigators, Rath was returning to his Madhyamgram residence with aide Buddhadeb Bera when motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly intercepted their SUV near Doharia around 10.30 pm and opened fire at point-blank range.Police sources said another vehicle first blocked Rath’s SUV before shooters moved in and fired multiple rounds from close range. Rath suffered bullet injuries to the chest and abdomen and was declared brought dead at a nearby private hospital. Bera remains critically injured.Eyewitnesses described the attack as “pre-planned”, claiming the shooters appeared highly trained and fled immediately after opening fire.The killing, which came less than 48 hours after the assembly poll results, triggered outrage across Bengal and intensified allegations of post-poll political violence.West Bengal Police have since deployed additional forces in Madhyamgram and adjoining areas, while investigators continue scanning CCTV footage, collecting forensic evidence and probing whether Rath was specifically targeted because of his central role in Adhikari’s political operations.(With agency inputs)
