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

Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday night. His killing has intensified political tensions in Bengal amid the volatile post-election atmosphere.

In Short

• The 41-year-old had moved from military service to opposition politics
• Rath came from Purba Medinipur and shared long ties with Adhikari
• He handled campaign logistics, sensitive assignments and worker coordination inside BJP

Chandranath Rath was not a public face in Bengal politics, but within BJP circles he was known as one of Suvendu Adhikari’s most trusted aides. The 41-year-old, who was shot dead in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday night, had travelled an unlikely journey — from serving in the Indian Air Force to becoming a key figure in Bengal’s opposition politics.

Hailing from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur, Rath shared old political and personal ties with Adhikari. Those who knew him described him as soft-spoken, disciplined and deeply influenced by the Ramakrishna Mission, where he studied during his early years. Friends say he had once even considered a spiritual life before eventually joining the Air Force, where he served for nearly two decades.

After taking voluntary retirement, Rath spent some time in the corporate sector before slowly moving into political work. His family had earlier been associated with the Trinamool Congress, and his mother Hasi Rath had held a position in a local panchayat body in Purba Medinipur. Like Adhikari, the family later shifted to the BJP in 2020.

Rath formally joined Adhikari’s core political team around 2019, when the BJP leader was still serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. Initially handling office coordination and administrative work, Rath gradually became a key organisational hand behind the scenes.

Inside the BJP, he was seen as someone who managed sensitive political assignments, campaign logistics and coordination with party workers. He was also closely involved in several crucial political campaigns, including the BJP’s high-profile Bhabanipur battle. Party insiders say Rath enjoyed Adhikari’s complete confidence and was increasingly being seen as a rising organisational figure within the camp.

Interestingly, on April 30 — three days before counting day — when Mamata Banerjee visited the Bhabanipur strongroom at Shakhawat Memorial High School, Chandranath had reached the spot with a small group of BJP supporters. In the absence of Suvendu Adhikari, who had left for his hometown Kanthi in East Midnapore that night, Rath led the BJP protest outside the counting centre.

He was seen getting into a heated altercation with police personnel, alleging that a TMC campaign vehicle had been illegally parked near the counting centre while Mamata Banerjee was inside. Following his complaint, BJP workers staged a protest, after which the vehicle was eventually removed with the intervention of police and CRPF personnel.

On Wednesday night, Rath’s political journey came to a violent end when unidentified motorcycle-borne attackers allegedly intercepted his vehicle near Madhyamgram’s Doharia area and fired at him from close range. His killing has intensified political tensions in Bengal and triggered fresh allegations amid the volatile post-election atmosphere.

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