Former West Bengal Minister Ashis Banerjee Found Dead in Party Office
Ashis Banerjee, a former Minister in the West Bengal government and a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, was found dead on Sunday morning inside a party office near his residence in Birbhum district. He was 75 years old.
Banerjee was a five-time TMC legislator and served as the Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from 2021 to 2026. He lost the 2026 Assembly election to Bharatiya Janata Party's Dhruba Saha.
Police said a note was recovered from the spot and the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. The contents of the note, as described in initial reports, included a denial of any involvement in wrongdoing. The note reportedly stated, “I had nothing to do with corruption and yet all these completely false allegations to malign me…”
The note is believed to refer to alleged irregularities concerning the Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority, where Banerjee had served as chairperson. No official confirmation of the authenticity or full text of the note has been provided by the authorities so far.
Banerjee, who also taught at Rampurhat College, was described by colleagues as a leader with a clean public image. His death comes amid a broader political transition in West Bengal, following a change in the state government. Several TMC leaders and former lawmakers are currently facing investigations related to alleged corruption during the party's tenure in office.
Leaders across political parties expressed grief over the untimely demise. TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee condoled the death, stating that it “should trouble the conscience of everyone who believes that politics and journalism must have boundaries.” He added, “Those who participated in this smear campaign should reflect on the human consequences of their words and actions. Political battles will come and go, but a life once lost can never be brought back.”
The circumstances leading to Banerjee's death are under investigation. The authorities have not released an official cause of death.
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