Active in West Bengal politics (2014–2021), Banerjee contested Lok Sabha elections, lost both, and quit representing BJP in 2021 officially
Kolkata
Bengali actor and BJP leader Joy Banerjee passed away on Monday at the age of 62 after a prolonged illness. He breathed his last at 11:35 a.m. at a private hospital in Kolkata, where he had been admitted due to chronic respiratory issues.
Banerjee had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and had largely stayed away from politics and public events since 2021. His condition worsened after a brief hospital admission on August 15, and he was put on ventilation from August 17.
Active in West Bengal politics from 2014 to 2021, Banerjee contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Birbhum against Trinamool Congress MP Satabdi Roy and the 2019 Uluberia constituency, losing to Sajda Ahmed. He formally announced in 2021 that he would no longer represent the BJP in elections. He had also served as a member of the BJP West Bengal State Committee.
In addition to his political career, Banerjee was a prominent Bengali film actor, starring in several popular films directed by Sukhena Das and Anjan Chowdhury. Some of his notable works include ‘Hirak Jayanti’, ‘Milan Tithi’, ‘Jiwan Maran’, ‘Nagmati’, and his acclaimed performance in ‘Chopper’.
During his illness, BJP workers visited him to offer support. Banerjee was the former husband of Trinamool Congress councillor Ananya Banerjee. His assistant confirmed that his mortal remains would be brought home from the hospital, but the exact arrangements for cremation and whether they will involve the BJP office remain undecided.
