Birbhum, News of the death of Ashish Banerjee, a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former deputy speaker of the assembly in Birbhum district of West Bengal, has caused a stir. The body of 74-year-old Banerjee was found hanging from a noose in the TMC office in Rampurhat. Upon receiving the news of the incident, a large crowd gathered outside the party office. Police arrived at the scene, took possession of the body and sent it for a postmortem. The circumstances of the death are currently under investigation.

Body found in party office near home

Ashish Banerjee lived in the Hattalapara area of ​​Rampurhat town. The local Trinamool Congress office is located near his residence. The discovery of his body in this office was reported. Following the incident, panic gripped the entire area. Police have begun inspecting the scene and collecting evidence related to the case.

According to the police, the body has been sent for a postmortem. Sources have also reported that an alleged suicide note was recovered from the party office. However, the contents of the note and its authenticity have not yet been officially confirmed.

Banerjee, a five-time MLA from Rampurhat

Ashish Banerjee was among the long-standing senior leaders of the Trinamool Congress. He won five consecutive elections from the Rampurhat assembly seat between 2001 and 2021. However, in the 2026 assembly elections, he lost to BJP candidate Dhruba Saha by nearly 24,000 votes.

According to Election Commission data, Ashish Banerjee received 87,687 votes, while BJP's Dhruba Saha received 111,920 votes, winning the seat.

Was the 13th Deputy Speaker of the Assembly

Ashish Banerjee served as the 13th Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from July 2021 to May 2026. Before entering politics, Banerjee was also involved in academia. Born in Rampurhat, Banerjee earned his PhD from Burdwan University and served as an associate professor at Rampurhat College.

Left District Core Committee Post in June

Banerjee resigned as Chairman of the Trinamool Congress's Birbhum District Core Committee in June this year. However, at the time, he clarified that he would remain in the party's primary membership.

It is noteworthy that the BJP performed strongly in the recent assembly elections in Birbhum district. The BJP won six of the district's 11 assembly seats, while the Trinamool Congress won 10 in the 2021 elections, leaving the BJP with only one. The death of Ashish Banerjee has also stirred local political turmoil.