Kolkata - Chandranath Rath, the close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, had travelled an unusual path — from serving in the Indian Air Force to becoming one of the opposition leader's most trusted political associates.

Rath, 41, originally hailed from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, the political turf that shaped Adhikari's rise in Bengal politics. Soft-spoken and largely away from public attention, he was nonetheless a key figure in Adhikari's inner circle for years.

Before entering political work, Rath spent nearly two decades in the Indian Air Force after completing his studies at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission. People close to the family said he had once considered a spiritual life and was deeply influenced by the Ramakrishna Mission's ethos during his student years.

After taking voluntary retirement from the Air Force, he briefly worked in the corporate sector before gradually moving into political coordination and administrative responsibilities under Adhikari.

His family, like Adhikari's, had earlier been associated with the Trinamool Congress. His mother, Hasi Rath, had held a position in a local panchayat body in Purba Medinipur during the TMC years before shifting allegiance to the BJP along with Adhikari in 2020. The connection between the two families stretched back over two decades.

Rath formally joined Adhikari's official team around 2019, when the latter was still a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. Over time, he emerged as a key backroom figure — coordinating organisational work, managing logistics, and maintaining communication with party workers. BJP insiders described him as someone who enjoyed Adhikari's complete confidence and was often involved in sensitive campaign-related assignments.

He was also part of the core team during several high-stakes political battles, including the BJP's Bhabanipur campaign. Within party circles, there had even been speculation that he could be entrusted with a larger administrative role if Adhikari assumed greater responsibility after the assembly polls.

Those discussions came to an abrupt end on Wednesday night, when motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted his vehicle near Madhyamgram's Doharia area and opened fire at close range. His killing has triggered sharp political reactions across Bengal and intensified the already volatile atmosphere following the assembly election results.