In this image received on May 6, 2026, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant Chandranath Rath was shot at from close range by unidentified assailants in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday (May 6, 2026) night, sources said. | Photo Credit: PTI 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 Mr. Adhikari’s rise in Bengal politics, party sources said. Soft-spoken and low-profile, he remained largely away from public attention despite being part of Mr. Adhikari’s inner circle for years. Before entering active political organisational work, Rath had 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 …