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Agartala, Tripura
Kolkata/IBNS: The Bharatiya Janata Party has called the killing of party MLA-elect Suvendu Adhikari's personal secretary Chandranath Rath “a pre-planned political assassination”, as the incident just two days ahead of the oath-taking ceremony has sent shockwaves across West Bengal.
Swapan Dasgupta, BJP MLA-elect from Rashbehari, squarely blamed the Trinamool Congress, claiming the ruling party had resorted to deadly violence after failing to come to terms with its crushing defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Speaking to ANI, Dasgupta said, “This was not an accidental death, but a pre-planned political assassination, a murder whose fingerprints will lead right to the top of a defeated party which cannot accept and reconcile itself to a devastating defeat in the elections...”
“They knew the importance of Chandra, his route and it was planned accordingly... It was done by an assassin... It is a revenge. Since they could not win an election, they take it out through guns...,” he added.
Dasgupta, however, declined to endorse any retaliatory action, saying administrative measures should follow once the new government assumes office on May 9.
#WATCH | North 24 Parganas | On Suvendu Adhikari's PA Chandra shot dead in Madhyamgram, BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta says, "I worked with Chandra very closely for different political campaigns. This was not an accidental death, but a pre-planned political assassination, a murder… pic.twitter.com/wibRz5ysty
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2026
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram on Wednesday night, triggering fresh political tremors in the state.
Reports said the victim was attacked at point-blank range after allegedly being followed for some time.
According to local television reports, the driver of Rath’s car also sustained injuries in the attack.
Rath reportedly suffered three bullet wounds — two in the chest and one in the stomach — and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
The bike-borne assailants fled the spot immediately after the shooting, and their identities are yet to be established.
Police said the number plate used on the attackers’ vehicle was “fake”.
Authorities have launched a search operation and are scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify and nab the miscreants.
Adhikari, who defeated outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, rushed to the hospital along with other BJP leaders after learning about the attack.
The killing comes amid heightened political tension in West Bengal following the Assembly election results, in which the BJP secured a landmark victory.
The incident is expected to further intensify the already charged political atmosphere in the state, with security concerns likely to dominate political discourse in the coming days.
