Ex-Bengal deputy speaker Ashis Banerjee found dead at TMC office; suicide note recovered

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and TMC leader Ashis Banerjee was found dead at the party office near his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum, on Sunday morning, police said.

A purported suicide note was recovered from the office, while Banerjee’s body was sent for post-mortem examination. Police said the circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be established.

Banerjee, a five-time MLA, represented Rampurhat in the state Assembly continuously from 2001 until 2026. He had served as deputy speaker and held ministerial portfolios, including school education and agriculture, in the Mamata Banerjee-led government.

He resigned as chairman of the TMC’s Birbhum district core committee in June, weeks after the party suffered a major defeat to the BJP in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Banerjee contested the Rampurhat seat on a TMC ticket in the 2026 polls but lost to BJP’s Dhruva Saha by more than 24,000 votes.

Police are investigating the circumstances of his death.