Kolkata, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker and ex-Trinamool Congress MLA Ashish Banerjee was found dead at his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday, with police recovering a handwritten suicide note from the room that also functioned as his party office.
Police said Banerjee was found hanging inside the office. His body has been sent for post-mortem, while investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding his death and verifying whether the suicide note was written by him.
The one-page note, written in Bengali, reportedly said Banerjee regretted entering politics and maintained that he had never been involved in corruption during his political career.
“I have been involved in politics since my student days. I have never been involved in any corruption,” the note stated, according to its contents. Banerjee also referred to his tenure as general secretary of the students’ union at Burdwan University and said he had not been involved in corruption there either.
He further wrote that although political disagreements had occurred, they had not previously turned into hostility. He also alleged that he had been denied authority in the Tarapith-Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA) and that several actions had been taken to undermine him.
According to the note, Banerjee said his role in the TRDA was limited to attending general body meetings and that he had no authority over tenders, cheque signing, plan approvals or no-objection certificates. He condemned what he described as attempts to malign him and wrote that entering politics appeared to have been a mistake.
“I advise my sons not to enter politics. They should stay in their respective jobs,” the note said.
The death has triggered questions in political circles over the circumstances that may have led to the former legislator taking the extreme step. Police are investigating whether political pressure or any other factor was involved.
A five-time Trinamool Congress MLA from Rampurhat, Banerjee was a teacher by profession and had served in the previous Mamata Banerjee-led state cabinet. He had also held the post of Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly.
In the Assembly elections held earlier this year, Banerjee was defeated from Rampurhat by around 24,000 votes. Since the poll defeat, he had reportedly remained largely out of contact with the party leadership.
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