India, May 7 -- Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in West Bengal's Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas late on Wednesday night.

The killing comes days after the BJP's sweeping victory in the Assembly elections, where the party won 207 of the 294 seats. Follow live updates on Bengal news here.

Rath had played a key role in Adhikari's election management in both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, both constituencies Adhikari won, defeating Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee on one.

According to BJP leader Koustav Bagchi, motorcycle-borne assailants tailed Rath's white Scorpio SUV before intercepting it near Doharia in Madhyamgram and opening fire while he was still inside the...