Who was Chandranath Rath, an ex-IAF serviceman who became Suvendu Adhikari's trusted aide?

Chandranath Rath, the close aide of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari who was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on 6 May, two days after the saffron party emerged as victorious in West Bengal Elections.

Rath, 41, hailed from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, the political turf that shaped Adhikari's rise in Bengal politics, party sources were quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The BJP is all set to form its first government in Bengal after scripting a landlslide in assembly elections with over 200 seats. Adhikari is the frontrunner to be the chief minister.

Who was Chandranath Rath?

Soft-spoken and low-profile, he remained largely away from public attention despite being part of Adhikari's inner circle for years, the news agency said.

Before entering active political organisational work, Rath had spent nearly two decades in the Indian Air Force after completing his studies at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission.

People close to the family told PTI that he had once considered a spiritual life and was deeply influenced by the Ramakrishna Mission ethos during his student years.

After taking voluntary retirement from the air force, he briefly worked in the corporate sector before gradually moving into political coordination and administrative responsibilities.

Family acquaintances told PTI the connection between the Rath family and Adhikari went back more than two decades to the early years of the TMC's expansion in Purba Medinipur.

Rath formally became part of Adhikari's official team around 2019, when the latter was serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. He initially handled responsibilities linked to Adhikari's ministerial office and later continued in a similar role after Adhikari crossed over to the saffron camp.

Over the years, Rath emerged as a key backroom figure in Adhikari's political operations, coordinating organisational work, managing logistics and maintaining communication with party workers.

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, news agency PTI said. He was also part of the core team during several high-voltage political battles, including the BJP's Bhabanipur campaign.

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.

Those discussions came to an abrupt end on Wednesday night when motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly intercepted his vehicle near Madhyamgram's Doharia area and opened fire at close range.

Rath's killing has triggered sharp political reactions in Bengal and intensified the already volatile atmosphere following the assembly election results.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital where Rath was taken after the attack, Adhikari termed the killing "heart-wrenching"

"This is a cold-blooded murder. The DGP has assured that they will probe the matter thoroughly," he said.

The leader of the opposition claimed the attackers appeared to have conducted a recce for a few days before executing the shooting. "The way the attack was executed clearly suggests that the assailants had done a recce beforehand," he alleged.

(With PTI inputs)