Dhaka, Aug. 16 -- Asish Banerjee, a former deputy speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and a close aide of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, was found dead at a party office in Birbhum district on Sunday, police said.

The body of Banerjee was found hanging at the Trinamool Congress office next to his residence in Rampurhat. Police sent the body for postmortem examination.

Banerjee served as deputy speaker during Mamata Banerjee's tenure as West Bengal chief minister and represented Rampurhat as an MLA five times.

He contested the state assembly election earlier this year but lost to BJP candidate Dhruba Saha.

Banerjee lived in the Hattalapara area of Rampurhat. A large number of people gathered outside the Trinamool...