Who was Chandranath Rath? Ex-Air Force man and Suvendu Adhikari close aide shot dead near Kolkata

Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who was shot dead near Kolkata on Wednesday night, had an unusual journey into Bengal politics, from serving in the Indian Air Force to becoming one of the opposition leader’s most trusted backroom operators.

The 41-year-old BJP functionary was killed after unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly intercepted his vehicle near the Doharia area in Madhyamgram, in North 24 Parganas district, and opened fire at close range. His killing has intensified political tensions in West Bengal in the aftermath of the assembly election results.

Though not widely known in public political circles, Rath held considerable influence within the BJP organisation and was regarded as part of Adhikari’s inner circle. Party insiders said he was deeply involved in campaign coordination, organisational management and politically sensitive assignments.

From Ramakrishna Mission student to Air Force serviceman

Rath hailed from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, the same political stronghold closely associated with Adhikari’s rise in Bengal politics.

He studied at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission and, according to people close to the family, was deeply influenced by the institution’s spiritual ethos during his formative years. Friends and acquaintances said he had once contemplated pursuing a spiritual path before eventually joining the Indian Air Force.

Rath served in the Air Force for nearly two decades before opting for voluntary retirement. After leaving the forces, he briefly worked in the corporate sector before gradually shifting towards political and organisational responsibilities.

Those who knew him described him as disciplined, soft-spoken and largely away from the public spotlight despite his growing importance within BJP circles.

Longstanding ties with Suvendu Adhikari

The relationship between Rath’s family and Adhikari reportedly dated back more than two decades, to the early expansion years of the Trinamool Congress in Purba Medinipur.

Like Adhikari, Rath’s family was once associated with the Trinamool Congress. His mother, Hasi Rath, had served in a local panchayat body in Purba Medinipur during the party’s rule before later shifting allegiance to the BJP in 2020 alongside Adhikari.

Rath formally joined Adhikari’s official political setup around 2019, when the BJP leader was still serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. He initially handled work linked to Adhikari’s ministerial office and administrative coordination.

When Adhikari switched to the BJP in 2020 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in Medinipur, Rath followed him into the saffron camp. After the 2021 Assembly election, when Adhikari became the Leader of the Opposition, Rath’s responsibilities within the organisation reportedly expanded significantly.

Within BJP circles, he came to be viewed as a trusted organisational hand who managed logistics, coordinated with party workers and assisted in politically sensitive operations behind the scenes.

Key backroom figure in BJP campaigns

BJP leaders and insiders said Rath enjoyed Adhikari’s complete confidence and was frequently entrusted with crucial campaign-related work.

He was part of the core team during several high-profile political battles, including the BJP’s campaign in Bhabanipur. There had also been internal speculation that Rath could eventually be given a larger administrative role if Adhikari assumed greater responsibility in government following the assembly elections.

In Bengal’s highly personalised political environment, Rath was seen as more than an aide handling routine coordination. His long-standing ties with Adhikari and familiarity with grassroots political networks reportedly made him an important link between the BJP leader’s Trinamool past and his present political position within the BJP.

Party members said his military background, organisational discipline and low-profile working style made him a dependable operator within the BJP’s Bengal structure.

Led BJP protest days before his death

Rath had also recently been seen taking an active role during political tensions surrounding the election counting process.

On April 30, when Mamata Banerjee visited the Bhabanipur strongroom at Shakhawat Memorial High School, Rath reportedly arrived at the venue with a small group of BJP supporters. In the absence of Adhikari, who had travelled to Kanthi in East Midnapore, Rath led protests outside the counting centre.

He was involved in a confrontation with police personnel after alleging that a Trinamool Congress campaign vehicle had been parked illegally near the counting centre while Banerjee was inside. BJP workers later staged a protest and the vehicle was eventually removed following police and CRPF intervention.

Suvendu Adhikari alleges ‘pre-planned murder’

Following Rath’s killing, Adhikari described the incident as a planned attack and said senior BJP leaders in Delhi had been informed.

“The killing of my aide Chandranath Rath is heart-wrenching; we condemn this. We appeal to everyone not to take up law into their own hands.”

“The DGP assured me police will investigate cold-blooded murder of my aide Chandranath Rath. Besides my aide, one of our cadres was shot at in Basirhat and another stabbed in Baranagar.”

"This is a pre-planned murder, and this is what DGP said. A recce was done for 2-3 days and a murdered was fully planned. The police initiated investigation... We are grieving and are at lack of words for condemning this incident. Our entire leadership from Delhi has taken information about this."

Adhikari later visited the hospital along with BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar and other party leaders to pay their final respects before Rath’s body was sent to AIIMS Kalyani for postmortem examination.