New Delhi: Days after the assembly elections, the murder of Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant Chandranath Rath in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal sparked a political storm in the state.Rath was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants who chased his vehicle, forced him to stop and opened fire in public view at around 10.30 pm before fleeing.The incident occurred in Doltala area of ​​Madhyamgram when Rath was returning home.The murder comes at a time when Bengal is in political danger after one of the most tightly contested assembly elections in recent years. BJP and this TMC In many districts each other is being accused of threats, attacks and retaliatory violence.what we know so farmotorcycle rider attackerAccording to eyewitnesses, Rath’s car was first stopped by a four-wheeler at Dohariya Junction near Dolatala, after which a person riding a motorcycle came near the vehicle and started firing.The people traveling in the four-wheeler left the vehicle on the spot and ran away in a two-wheeler.Rath was seriously injured in the firing and was taken to a nearby private hospital. According to the party, doctors declared him dead on arrival.A doctor said, “The victim was brought dead, two bullets hit him on the chest, which pierced his heart and another bullet hit his stomach area. There was no chance of reviving him.”As news of the murder spread, hundreds of BJP supporters gathered outside the hospital, raising slogans against the ruling TMC and demanding immediate arrest of those behind the attack.‘The attackers wanted to give a political message’The atmosphere outside the medical facility turned emotional as senior BJP leaders, newly elected MLAs and party workers reached there overnight.Heavy police contingent was deployed outside the hospital and on Jessore Road to prevent any untoward incident.Supporters burst into tears, while party workers accused the ruling government of spreading “terrorism” following the assembly election results.The officers also reached the hospital around midnight.State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that the incident was a planned and targeted attack and the attackers wanted to send a political message.Bhattacharya said, “This was not unexpected. We do not know how far TMC’s culture of violence will stoop. This is evidence of the complete criminalization of politics now prevalent in Bengal. This was a planned and targeted attack. By killing the PA of the outgoing opposition leader, the attackers wanted to send a political message.”“People must take to the streets to protest and stop this never-ending violence. After our government comes to power, we will take strict steps as per the law.BJP leader and elected MLA Kaustav Bagchi said that Rath’s body will not be cremated until the culprits are identified.“It was a targeted attack. The attackers followed Rath’s car for a long time before firing bullets at him. This is the handiwork of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. We will not rest until the criminals are identified. We will not cremate the body till then.”Newly elected BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tiwari said, “We are propagating peace, but TMC has made the biggest mistake.”TMC demands CBI investigationMeanwhile, Trinamool Congress also condemned Rath’s murder.“We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram along with the killing of three other TMC workers in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly carried out by BJP-backed miscreants in the last three days, despite the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct,” the party said in a statement.“We demand the strongest action possible, including a court-monitored CBI investigation in this matter so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without any delay,” it said.broader political conspiracyDGP Siddhanath Gupta, who visited the hospital, said police have recovered the used cartridges from the crime scene.“The small car used in the crime has also been seized. The registration number of the vehicle appears to be that of the Siliguri Regional Transport Office, but our initial impression is that the number plate may have been tampered with,” he said.Barasat police district SP Pushpa said efforts were on to identify the attackers, examine CCTV footage of the surrounding areas and find out the motive behind the attack.Meanwhile, investigators were also trying to find out whether Rath was specifically targeted because of his proximity to the officer or whether the attack was part of a wider political conspiracy.According to news agency PTI, forensic teams collected samples from the vehicle while investigators scanned nearby surveillance footage late Wednesday night to reconstruct the sequence of events.Who was Chandranath Rath?According to PTI, Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel who later took over as an assistant to the BJP leader, played a key role in Adhikari’s campaigns in the Bhabanipur constituency, where the BJP leader won over former chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.Rath formally became part of Adhikari’s official team around 2019, when Adhikari was serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government.He initially handled the responsibilities related to Adhikari’s ministerial office and later continued in the same role even after Adhikari switched to the saffron camp.Over the years, Rath emerged as a key figure in Adhikari’s political operations, coordinating organizational work, managing logistics and maintaining communication with party workers.BJP insiders described him as someone who had the full confidence of Adhikari and who was often involved in sensitive tasks related to campaign management and political coordination.He was also part of the core team during several high-voltage political battles, including the BJP’s Bhawanipur campaign.Within some sections of the BJP organisation, there was also speculation that Rath could be handed a bigger administrative responsibility if he plays a bigger role in the government after the assembly elections.