Chandranath Rath, 41, the close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, had a career trajectory that took him from the Indian Air Force to becoming one of the Opposition leader's most trusted political associates.
On Wednesday night, that journey ended on a dark road in Madhyamgram with a gunman pressing a barrel against his car window.
The Boy From Purba Medinipur
Rath originally hailed from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, the same political turf that shaped Adhikari's own rise in Bengal politics. Soft-spoken and deliberately low-profile, he was known inside the party, but largely invisible to the public — which is exactly how he seemed to prefer it.
Before entering active political work, he spent nearly two decades in the Indian Air Force, after completing his studies at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission. People close to the family said he had once considered a spiritual life and was deeply influenced by the Ramakrishna Mission ethos during his student years.
From Uniform To Politics
After taking voluntary retirement from the air force, he briefly worked in the corporate sector before gradually moving into political coordination and administrative responsibilities. His family, like Adhikari's, had earlier been associated with the Trinamool Congress. His mother Hasi Rath had held a position in a local panchayat body in Purba Medinipur during the TMC years before shifting allegiance to the BJP along with Adhikari in 2020.
Adhikari's Trusted Confidant
Rath formally became part of Adhikari's official team around 2019, when the latter was serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, initially handling responsibilities linked to Adhikari's ministerial office and later continuing in a similar role after Adhikari crossed over to the saffron camp.
Over the years, he grew into something more than an aide. BJP insiders described him as someone who enjoyed Adhikari's complete confidence and was often involved in sensitive assignments linked to campaign management and political coordination. He was also part of the core team during several high-voltage political battles, including the BJP's Bhabanipur campaign.
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A Future That Never Came
Within sections of the BJP organisation, there had even been speculation that Rath could be entrusted with a larger administrative responsibility if Adhikari assumed a bigger role in government after the assembly polls. But that never happened.
On Wednesday night, motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted his vehicle near Madhyamgram's Doharia area and opened fire at close range. Rath sustained multiple bullet injuries, and was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead, police said.
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West Bengal DGP Siddh Nath Gupta confirmed that the four-wheeler used in the crime carried false, tampered number plates, and that live rounds and fired cartridges had been recovered from the spot. The incident occurred less than 48 hours after the TMC suffered a major electoral defeat at the hands of the BJP.
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