Chandranath Rath, executive assistant to West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in a targeted attack in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, on Wednesday night, police said. Motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted Rath's vehicle near Doltala around 10:30 p.m., forced it to stop, and opened fire at point-blank range before fleeing the scene.

Adhikari condemned the killing as a 'cold-blooded murder' and said the precision of the attack suggested prior reconnaissance by the assailants. He stated that West Bengal DGP Siddhnath Gupta had assured him of a thorough investigation. The opposition leader refrained from naming any group but alleged ongoing violence against BJP workers across the state since the assembly election results.

Adhikari reported that another party worker was shot in Basirhat and a second stabbed in Baranagar on the same night. He said he had spoken with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda about the incident. Police have launched a manhunt for the attackers, and the investigation is underway.

Adhikari appealed to BJP workers to remain calm and avoid retaliatory actions, urging the public not to take the law into their own hands. The West Bengal government has yet to issue an official statement on the killing. The case is expected to escalate political tensions in the state in the aftermath of the recent elections.