A week after the high-profile killing of businessman Gopal Khemka, BJP leader Surendra Kewat was shot dead today in Sheikhpura village, near Patna. The 52‑year‑old, a local Kisan Morcha functionary and veterinarian, was returning from switching off a water pump when two men on a motorcycle opened fire, hitting him four times. Kewat was rushed to AIIMS Patna but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Senior BJP figures—including MLA Gopal Ravidas and ex‑Minister Shyam Rajak—visited the hospital, urging swift completion of formalities and police action. Patna police have launched raids, recorded witness statements, and deployed forensic teams, CCTV scans, and technical surveillance to identify the attackers.

This killing marks the second high-profile murder in Patna within a week, following Khemka’s death, further intensifying law and order concerns in the election-bound state. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav criticized Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration over deteriorating public safety, posting on X: “And now, a BJP leader shot dead in Patna! … Is anyone in the NDA government willing to listen to the truth?”. Even within the ruling alliance, former Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav voiced alarm at the spree of killings, warning that “people are living in fear” and demanded immediate police action.

The spate of violence has sparked a political firestorm, with both BJP and RJD intensifying scrutiny of Bihar’s law-and-order record ahead of upcoming elections.