Kolkata, May 7, 2026 — The murder of Chandranath Dutta, personal assistant to West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, has intensified political tensions in the state, with the BJP alleging a political conspiracy behind the killing and targeting the ruling All India Trinamool Congress leadership.
According to Indian media reports, Suvendu Adhikari said they do not want to draw any final conclusions at this stage and would wait for the police investigation report before making definitive statements. However, he expressed concern that the incident could have “political links.”
The BJP has described the killing as a “planned murder” and accused senior Trinamool Congress leaders of being connected to the incident.
On Wednesday in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, BJP leader Arjun Singh directly blamed Abhishek Banerjee for the attack. Referring to ongoing post-election violence in the state, he alleged that the killing was intended to demonstrate the ruling party’s continued influence even outside formal power structures.
Chandranath Dutta, a longtime close associate of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead on Wednesday night near Kolkata in the Madhyamgram area. Preliminary reports indicate that an exchange of gunfire took place during the attack. At least four rounds were fired, leaving Dutta critically injured.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died while undergoing treatment.
The incident has further heightened the already volatile political atmosphere in West Bengal following the recent assembly election period.
