Armed assailants on motorbikes killed a political aide linked to India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata on Wednesday night, escalating tensions in West Bengal just days after a closely watched state election, police and hospital officials said.
Police said Chandranath Rath, 41, a close associate of West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was attacked near his residence around 11 p.m. local time. The assailants reportedly intercepted his vehicle using motorcycles before opening fire at close range.
West Bengal police chief Siddh Nath Gupta told AFP that the attackers fired approximately a dozen rounds, with multiple bullets striking Rath in the chest. “The bikes had fake registration numbers, and we are investigating to identify the assailants,” he said, adding that the motorcycles used in the attack have been recovered.
Doctors at Apollo Hospital confirmed that Rath was brought in dead. “He was brought dead with multiple bullet injuries to the chest,” said attending physician Pritam Sengupta.
The killing comes amid heightened political volatility following the state election, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party claimed a decisive victory, winning 207 of 294 assembly seats in West Bengal, according to official results cited in local reporting.
The BJP’s win marks its first major electoral breakthrough in the state, traditionally governed by the regional All India Trinamool Congress under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a long-standing critic of Modi’s government.
Following the results, political violence has reportedly left at least five people dead across the state, according to local authorities and party statements, further intensifying concerns over post-election unrest.
Suvendu Adhikari described the killing of Rath as a “cold-blooded murder” and alleged political motivation behind the attack. “It was a planned murder,” he said, accusing the Trinamool Congress of responsibility.
The All India Trinamool Congress rejected any involvement, condemning the killing while also accusing BJP-aligned groups of attacks on its supporters. In a statement, the party said it “strongly condemns the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath” and called for an impartial investigation.
Police have not yet identified suspects or established a motive. Investigations are ongoing.