Asish Banerjee

Asish Banerjee was born on 3 November 1951 in Rampurhat, in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. His father was Asit Baran Banerjee. He studied at the University of Burdwan, completing a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a PhD there. As a student he was elected general secretary of the university students' council.

After his studies Banerjee taught Bengali at Rampurhat College, affiliated to the University of Burdwan, where he became an associate professor. He left teaching on entering the Assembly.

He was elected MLA for Rampurhat for the Trinamool Congress in 2001, defeating the sitting member, and was re-elected in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. In 2014 Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made him Minister of State with independent charge of Ayurveda, Unani, Naturopathy, Siddha, Yoga and Homeopathy. In 2015 he was given charge of biotechnology, statistics and programme monitoring. In September 2017 he replaced Purnendu Basu as Minister for Agriculture, serving until 2021.

On 2 July 2021 he became the 13th Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, a post he held until 7 May 2026. He also served as chairperson of the Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority. At the 2026 Assembly election he lost Rampurhat to Dhruba Saha of the BJP, and party sources told PTI he had not been particularly active in politics afterwards.

Banerjee lived in Rampurhat all his life, at Hattala Para near the party office where he often worked. Colleagues and opponents alike described him as approachable, and he was widely known in the district as a teacher as well as a politician.

Banerjee was found dead on the morning of Sunday 16 August 2026 inside a Trinamool Congress office adjacent to his home in Rampurhat. He was 74. A day earlier he had attended an Independence Day celebration there and hoisted the national flag.

Police recovered a note written in Bengali in which he said no one was responsible for his death. In it he maintained that he had never been involved in corruption, said he had no role in tender decisions, cheques, plan approvals or certificates at the Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority, and said attempts had been made to malign him. Police said they were investigating the circumstances, and his body was taken to Rampurhat Medical College for a post-mortem examination.

Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress said he had been falsely accused and subjected to relentless pressure. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said he had spoken to the family and assured them of police action. His funeral procession and last rites took place in Rampurhat the same evening, attended by party figures including MP Satabdi Roy and MLA Kajal Sheikh.

If you are struggling, please reach out to a local crisis line or someone you trust.

Banerjee represented Rampurhat for a quarter of a century, an unbroken run of five election victories, and held several ministerial posts before presiding over the Assembly as Deputy Speaker. Mamata Banerjee said he had dedicated himself to bringing development to Rampurhat and that his absence would always be felt.