Former Bengal Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee Found Dead in party office

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, August 16, 2026: Former West Bengal Deputy Speaker and veteran Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday.

Police said Banerjee’s body was found hanging and has been sent for postmortem. A handwritten note was reportedly recovered from the spot, though its contents have not been independently verified.

Banerjee, a five-time MLA from Rampurhat, had served as deputy speaker and held ministerial portfolios including education and agriculture during the Trinamool Congress government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In the purported note, Banerjee reportedly expressed regret over entering politics and advised young members of his family to stay away from politics. He also denied involvement in alleged corruption and claimed he had no decision-making powers in the Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority.

Banerjee had lost the Rampurhat election earlier this year to BJP’s Dhruba Saha. He stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June but continued as a general member of the party.

A large crowd gathered outside his residence and the party office following news of his death. The incident comes amid political changes in West Bengal following the Trinamool Congress’s defeat after 15 years in power.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.