Birbhum: Former Bengal Assembly deputy speaker Ashis Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office near his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum, on Sunday morning, police said.
A purported suicide note was recovered from the party office, while Banerjee’s body was sent for post-mortem examination. Police said the circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated.
Banerjee had resigned as chairman of the TMC’s Birbhum district core committee in June, following the party’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.
A five-time MLA, Banerjee represented Rampurhat continuously from 2001 until 2026. He had also served as deputy speaker and held ministerial responsibilities, including school education and agriculture, in the Mamata Banerjee government.
In the 2026 Assembly polls, Banerjee contested from Rampurhat on a TMC ticket but was defeated by BJP candidate Dhruva Saha by more than 24,000 votes.
