Veteran TMC leader and five-time Rampurhat MLA was found hanging at a party office near his residence
Former West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker and veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office in Rampurhat, Birbhum, on Sunday morning, August 16.
Police sources said Banerjee’s body was found hanging inside the TMC office located adjacent to his residence in the Hattala Para area. A purported suicide note was also recovered from the spot. Police are examining the note as part of their investigation, while Banerjee’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
The circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been fully established, and officials are investigating the incident.
Five-time Rampurhat MLA
Banerjee was one of the TMC’s veteran leaders in Birbhum and represented the Rampurhat Assembly constituency for five consecutive terms. He served as Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly during the previous TMC government and also held ministerial responsibilities in the Mamata Banerjee-led administration.
His political career in Rampurhat came to an end in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, when BJP candidate Dhruba Saha defeated him. Saha secured 1,11,920 votes against Banerjee’s 87,687, winning the constituency by 24,233 votes.
Resignation from party posts
Banerjee’s death comes months after the electoral setback and his decision to step back from key organisational responsibilities in the TMC’s Birbhum unit.
Reports said he had sought to resign from the party’s Birbhum core committee and the district chairperson’s post following the election defeat. He had indicated that he did not intend to leave the TMC and wanted to continue as an ordinary party member.
The circumstances of his death should not be linked to these developments until investigators establish a cause or motive.
Police investigation underway
The body has been sent for post-mortem, and investigators are expected to establish the exact circumstances and cause of death based on forensic findings and the ongoing probe.
Banerjee’s death has sent shockwaves through West Bengal’s political circles, coming soon after the veteran leader’s defeat in the Assembly election and his withdrawal from key organisational responsibilities in the TMC.
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