BJP MLA from Hemtabad in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, Debendra Nath Ray, was found hanging a few meters away from his home near a local market.
Ray, a first time MLA, had switched sides to join the BJP in 2019. He was elected on a CPM ticket in 2016.
The BJP and Ray’s family members have alleged that he was murdered for his political affiliation and have demanded a thorough probe into the matter.
BJP’s national general secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya, took to Twitter to condemn the death. Calling it a “shameful” and “an act of cowardice”, Vijayvargiya wrote that “Ray was killed”. He raised the question as to whether the killing was due to the deceased’s political affiliation.