Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and veteran Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found hanging at a party office near his residence in Hattala Para, Rampurhat, in Birbhum district on Sunday morning, police sources said.
A purported suicide note was recovered from the party office, with police examining its contents to determine the circumstances surrounding his death. The note, which has gone viral on social media, Banerjee is learnt to have said that no one was responsible for his death and expressed regret over entering politics.
Banerjee in the note 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.
He was 74 and is survived by his wife and son. The body was sent for post-mortem examination.
Banerjee, who represented Rampurhat in the West Bengal Assembly continuously from 2001 to 2026, had served as deputy speaker and held ministerial portfolios including school education and agriculture in the Mamata Banerjee government.
He contested the 2026 Assembly elections from Rampurhat on a TMC ticket but lost to BJP's Dhruva Saha by more than 24,000 votes. Party sources said Banerjee had not been particularly active in politics since his electoral defeat.
His political career also placed him at the centre of several significant developments in Birbhum, where he was a prominent TMC leader during the tenure of party strongman Anubrata Mondal as district president.
In June this year, Banerjee had stepped down as the TMC district president but said he would continue as a member of the party.
Banerjee's death comes months after the TMC lost power in West Bengal following its 15-year rule, with the BJP forming the government after the 2026 Assembly polls. The change in political fortunes has also seen several former TMC leaders and legislators face corruption-related investigations and arrests.
Police are investigating whether Banerjee died by suicide and, if so, what prompted him to take the extreme step. The post-mortem report and the contents of the purported note are expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding his death.
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, Asish 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.
He also claimed that some former TMC leaders who had moved towards the BJP had pressured Banerjee to follow them. These allegations could not be independently verified.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
(With inputs from PTI)