Asish Banerjee, former deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly and a five-time Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA, was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum, on Sunday. Police recovered a purported handwritten note from the premises. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, while the authenticity and contents of the note have not been independently verified.

According to police, the purported note was written in Bengali and included remarks about Banerjee's political career and his dissatisfaction with aspects of his political life. He allegedly wrote that he believed entering politics had been a mistake and advised younger members of his family to focus on their professions rather than enter politics. He also reportedly denied allegations of wrongdoing and referred to attempts to damage his reputation.

Banerjee also allegedly referred to the Tarapith-Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA), stating that he had no role in tender decisions, cheque issuance, plan approvals or no-objection certificates. He reportedly maintained that his involvement with the authority was limited to attending general meetings. NDTV could not independently verify the authenticity of the purported note.

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Banerjee was considered a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and had been associated with politics since his student days. He also worked as a teacher and represented the Rampurhat Assembly constituency from 2001 until 2026. During his political career, he served as deputy speaker and held ministerial portfolios including school education and agriculture in the Mamata Banerjee-led government.

His long electoral run ended in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, when BJP's Dhruva Saha defeated him in Rampurhat by more than 24,000 votes. Banerjee had represented the constituency for 25 consecutive years, making his defeat a significant setback after decades in electoral politics.

Banerjee's death comes at a politically significant time for the state, months after the Trinamool Congress lost power following 15 years of rule and the BJP formed the government in West Bengal. Police are continuing their investigation, including examination of the circumstances of the death and the purported note recovered from the party office.

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