A political aide of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen on motorbikes in West Bengal, days after the party secured a historic victory in the state assembly elections.
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According to police, Chandranath Rath, 41, a close aide of West Bengal BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari, was ambushed late Wednesday night near his residence in Kolkata. Authorities said the attackers blocked his vehicle before opening fire, firing around a dozen shots that struck him multiple times in the chest.
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…
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 6, 2026
West Bengal police chief Siddh Nath Gupta confirmed that the bikes used in the attack had fake registration numbers and have since been seized. Investigators are now searching for the assailants. A doctor at Apollo Hospital said Rath was brought in dead with multiple bullet injuries.
The killing comes shortly after the BJP’s strong electoral performance in West Bengal, where the party secured 207 of 294 assembly seats, marking its first major victory in the state. The political shift has heightened tensions in the region, with at least five people reported killed in post-election violence since results were announced.
West Bengal, India’s politically sensitive eastern state, has long been governed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party. Banerjee lost her own seat in the recent election and has rejected the results.
BJP leaders have described the killing as a “planned murder” and blamed political rivals, while accusing the ruling TMC of involvement. The TMC has strongly denied any role in the attack, condemning the killing while also alleging that BJP-linked groups have targeted its supporters in recent violence.
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Security has been tightened in parts of Kolkata and surrounding districts as police continue investigations. The incident has further intensified political tensions in the state, which has seen repeated clashes between rival party workers following the elections.