Former Bengal Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee found dead at party office

Kolkata: Former Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly and former Trinamool Congress MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead in a room at his Rampurhat party office on Sunday morning. A five-term MLA Banerjee’s body was found hanging in the office, said police, adding that a suicide note was recovered from the spot.

He had won as a legislator from Birbhum for five terms but was defeated in the 2026 assembly polls. Banerjee’s body was recovered hanging inside the party office adjacent to his residence, and a suicide note was also found.

“Police broke open the door and found his body hanging from the fan with a nylon wire,” a senior police official said.

The body has been sent for post-mortem and police have started investigating the incident.

Banerjee served as the Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. He was a five-time MLA from Rampurhat. In the 2026 Assembly elections, he was defeated by BJP candidate Dhruba Saha.

In a suicide note in Bengali, Banerjee wrote that he never got involved in any corruption in his entire political career and he has committed mistake by entering politics.

“I have never resorted to corruption in my entire life. I was in politics from my student days but was never involved in any kind of corruption. I became the general secretary of the students’ union at Burdwan University. I was not involved in any corruption,” the suicide note read.

The deceased leader had also claimed that his own party deprived him of all authority in Tarapith-Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA) and alleged that many things were done to insult him.

“I had no other responsibility in TRDA except attending the general body meeting. I was not in the tender committee and was not the cheque signing authority. I was not involved in the passing of plans or the issue of a no-objection certificate for any project. No one ever discussed these matters with me. I condemn everything that was done to malign me. Today, it seems that entering politics was a mistake. I advise my sons not to enter politics,” read the suicide note.

Abhishek Banerjee, an advocate by profession and nephew of Asish Banerjee said, “My uncle was not corrupt. No one in our entire family will ever join politics. We have lost a family member.”

Meanwhile, Trinamool National general Secretary Abhishek Banerjee wrote in his X Handle, “The tragic death of former MLA and former Dy Speaker of WBLA Asish Banerjee is not merely heartbreaking, it should trouble the conscience of everyone who believes that politics and journalism must have boundaries. A lifelong teacher and public servant, Asish Da devoted decades to serving people with honesty, dignity and simplicity. He was a respected figure and a source of pride for Rampurhat and entire Birbhum district.


“His final note raises serious and troubling questions about the sustained smear campaign he said he had endured. The BJP and sections of the MEDIA must reflect on the consequences of a politics where allegations are amplified, reputations are put on trial and individuals are condemned in the court of public opinion before the truth is established, the TMC National general secretary added.