Ashish Das

Ashish Das is an Indian politician from Tripura who rose to prominence as a Member of the Tripura Legislative Assembly representing the Surma constituency. He was elected in the 2018 Assembly elections as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contributing to the party’s rise to power in the state after ending decades of Left Front rule.

During his tenure as MLA, Das remained aligned with the BJP until 2021, when he began publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and functioning. In October 2021, he dramatically announced his exit from the BJP while in Kolkata, where he shaved his head at the Kalighat temple as an act of “penance,” stating that supporting the party had been a mistake.

Following his resignation from the BJP, Das joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) in late 2021 as part of the party’s efforts to expand its political footprint in Tripura. His switch came amid increasing political competition in the state and was accompanied by public criticism of the BJP leadership and governance.

Soon after joining the TMC, Das faced disqualification from the Tripura Legislative Assembly under the anti-defection provisions, which ended his tenure as MLA before the full term was completed. This marked a significant turning point in his political career, limiting his immediate electoral participation in the state.

In May 2022, Das resigned from the TMC, citing internal dissatisfaction and alleging that the party did not accord its leaders due respect and was affected by factionalism. He also indicated uncertainty about his future political alignment at that time, stating that he had not decided on his next move.

Since his exit from the TMC, Ashish Das has remained politically active in public discourse, though without a stable long-term party association reported in major national media. His political journey has been marked by significant party shifts and high-profile actions, keeping him relevant in regional political discussions as of 2026.