SRINAGAR: Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and veteran Trinamool Congress leader Ashis Banerjee was found hanging inside a TMC party office near his residence in Hattala Para area of Rampurhat in Birbhum district on Sunday morning, police said.
Banerjee, 74, had represented the Rampurhat Assembly constituency for nearly 25 years before losing the seat in the 2026 Assembly elections. He is survived by his wife and son.
Police said a purported suicide note was recovered from the party office. The authenticity of the note, which has also circulated on social media, has not been independently verified.
According to police, the note reportedly stated that no one was responsible for Banerjee’s death and expressed regret over his decision to enter politics. The note also contained references to allegations and controversies surrounding him in recent months.
Police reached the spot after receiving information and shifted the body for post-mortem examination. The circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated, while the contents of the purported note are also being examined.
Banerjee had been associated with politics since his student days and had also worked as a teacher. He represented Rampurhat in the West Bengal Assembly continuously from 2001 to 2026 and served as deputy speaker besides holding ministerial portfolios, including school education and agriculture, in the Mamata Banerjee government.
The purported one-page note reportedly claimed that Banerjee had never indulged in corruption or accepted money for getting work done. It also allegedly said that while he did not always agree with certain actions within the party, he had been unable to oppose them openly.
The note reportedly mentioned the Tarapith-Rampurhat Development Authority and claimed that Banerjee had no involvement in decisions related to tenders, cheques, plan approvals or no-objection certificates. It further alleged that attempts had been made to tarnish and humiliate his reputation.
Banerjee also reportedly advised members of his family against entering politics and recalled the affection he had received from his students.
Reacting to his death, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the contents of the purported note raised “serious and troubling questions” about the alleged campaign against the former MLA.
Describing Banerjee as a lifelong teacher and public servant, Abhishek said he had spent decades serving people with “honesty, dignity and simplicity”. He also alleged that political allegations and media coverage could have consequences when reputations were judged before facts were established.
Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh called for a neutral investigation and said it would be premature to conclude that Banerjee had died by suicide. Ghosh alleged that the former MLA had faced political pressure, though the claims could not be independently verified.
BJP MLA Dhruva Saha, who defeated Banerjee in the 2026 Assembly polls, also expressed grief and sought a thorough investigation.
Saha said that after winning the Rampurhat seat, he had visited Banerjee’s residence to seek his blessings. He said people in Rampurhat and Birbhum deserved to know what had happened.
Banerjee contested the 2026 Assembly elections on a TMC ticket but lost to Saha by more than 24,000 votes. Party sources said he had remained relatively inactive in politics after the electoral defeat.
A prominent TMC figure in Birbhum, Banerjee was also active during the period when Anubrata Mondal was the party’s district president. In June this year, he stepped down as TMC district president while maintaining that he would continue as a party member.
His death comes months after the TMC was voted out of power in West Bengal following 15 years of rule, with the BJP forming the government after the 2026 Assembly elections. The change in the state’s political landscape has also been followed by investigations and arrests involving several former TMC leaders.
Police said the exact circumstances leading to Banerjee’s death remain unclear. Investigators are examining all aspects of the case, including the purported note, while the post-mortem report is expected to provide further information.
No conclusion has been reached yet on the circumstances of his death, police said.
