Former Deputy Speaker Ashis Banerjee Found Dead at TMC Office in Birbhum

Might have been threatened by TMC's corrupt elements : Suvendu 

PTI, August 16, 2026, Rampurhat: :Former deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly, Ashis Banerjee, was found hanging at a TMC party office in Birbhum district on Sunday morning, police said.

A purported suicide note was also recovered from the party office located near his residence in Hattala Para in Rampurhat, they said. He was 74 and is survived by his wife and son.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed apprehension that corrupt elements within the opposition party might have threatened him.

He said the purported suicide note, written on the former MLA's letterhead and recovered from the party office, would be examined.

The note stated that no one was responsible for Banerjee's death and expressed regret over entering politics. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter.

"The handwritten suicide note that has been recovered on Ashis Banerjee's letterhead pad will be investigated. The handwriting will also be examined," Adhikari said.

Mourning the death of the veteran TMC leader, the chief minister said he had asked police to stand by the bereaved family and would investigate whether Banerjee had been threatened. He expressed apprehension that corrupt elements within the TMC might have threatened him.

Police reached the spot after being informed of the incident and sent the body for post-mortem examination.

Banerjee, a veteran TMC leader, had represented Rampurhat in the state Assembly continuously from 2001 till 2026. He had served as the deputy speaker of the Assembly and held ministerial portfolios, including school education and agriculture, in the Mamata Banerjee government.

According to the purported one-page note, Banerjee claimed that he had never been involved in corruption and had never taken money in exchange for any work. He also wrote that although he could not always accept "wrongdoings" within the party, he had been unable to protest against them.

The note also reportedly contained a reference to the Tarapith-Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA), with Banerjee claiming that he had no role in its tender-related decisions, cheque issuance, plan approvals or no-objection certificates. He alleged that attempts had been made to "malign" and humiliate him, and said he felt that entering politics had been a mistake.

Banerjee, who had been associated with politics since his student days and had also worked as a teacher, advised members of his family not to enter politics and recalled the affection he had received from his students.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, reacting to the death, said the contents of the purported final note raised "serious and troubling questions" about the alleged smear campaign faced by the former MLA.

"A lifelong teacher and public servant, Ashis Da devoted decades to serving people with honesty, dignity and simplicity," Abhishek Banerjee said in a social media post, alleging that the BJP and sections of the media should reflect on the consequences of a politics in which allegations are amplified and reputations are put on trial before the truth is established.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh called for a "neutral investigation", saying it was too early to conclude that Banerjee had died by suicide. Ghosh alleged that the former MLA had faced political pressure and referred to a purported video of a BJP leader allegedly insulting him on the road.

Banerjee had contested the 2026 Assembly elections from Rampurhat on a TMC ticket but lost to BJP's Dhruva Saha by more than 24,000 votes. After his electoral defeat, Banerjee was not seen to be particularly active in politics, party sources said.