Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Aug 16: Former West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker and senior Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found hanging at a TMC party office near his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning, police said. A purported suicide note was also recovered from the office.

Police have sent Banerjee's body for post-mortem examination and are examining the circumstances surrounding his death as well as the contents of the purported note. The exact circumstances leading to his death have not yet been established.

The 74-year-old was a veteran TMC leader and had represented the Rampurhat Assembly constituency for 25 consecutive years, from 2001 until 2026. He served as the 13th Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from July 2021 to May 2026.

Born in Rampurhat, Banerjee completed his PhD from Burdwan University and had worked as an associate professor at Rampurhat College before entering full-time politics.

He was considered close to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and had served in her government in several ministerial capacities, including school education and agriculture. He also held other portfolios during his political career.

Banerjee won the Rampurhat Assembly seat five consecutive times beginning in 2001. However, he suffered his first electoral defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, when BJP candidate Dhruba Saha defeated him by more than 24,000 votes.

According to election results, Banerjee secured 87,687 votes, while Saha polled 1,11,920 votes to win the constituency.

Following his defeat, Banerjee had become less active in politics, according to TMC sources. The development came amid a major political shift in West Bengal after the TMC lost power in the 2026 Assembly elections, ending its 15-year rule in the state.

In June, Banerjee resigned as chairman of the TMC's Birbhum district core committee, although he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

At the time, he had criticised the functioning of the Birbhum district core committee headed by district president Anubrata Mondal, saying it had not adequately carried out its political responsibilities during the Assembly elections. The BJP won six of the district's 11 Assembly constituencies in the polls.

Reports said Banerjee had participated in a local Independence Day programme and hoisted the national flag a day before his death. His body was subsequently found at the TMC office adjacent to his residence in the Hattala Para area of Rampurhat.

A purported suicide note recovered from the office has also drawn attention. Police are examining its contents as part of the investigation. Reports said the note contained statements denying wrongdoing and expressing regret over entering politics, although authorities have not yet established the authenticity or full contents of the document.

A large number of people gathered outside the party office after news of Banerjee's death spread in Rampurhat.

Neither Mamata Banerjee nor the TMC had issued an official statement on his death at the time of the initial reports. Police are continuing their investigation, while the post-mortem examination is expected to provide further information about the circumstances of the veteran leader's death.